Letting Us Go
by Nakoujou
Summary: After three years, Sasuke and Sakura end their relationship. And Naruto doesn't know how to deal with their abnormal post-breakup cycle. "They didn't break up! They're on a break."
1. Stage 1: False Acceptance

Letting Us Go

AUTHOR'S NOTE (Feel free to skip to the real chapter under the line!)

Hi, guys! My name is Nakoujou! I've been writing fanfiction since the summer before 8th grade and now I'm about to enter UCSD as a college freshman! Man, time does fly! Thank you for stopping by! As the summary states, this is a story about the breakup between Sasuke and Sakura. It's not in first person, but the perspective is mainly from Naruto. In other words, you learn things the same time as Naruto does about their breakup. Learning things in Naruto's position reminds me of every time when a couple recently broke up, but you're really good friends with both of them so you become that middle person in the relationship. I feel that Naruto fits that status perfectly because he offers a neutral opinion, yet will also keep this story from being too angsty and depressing.

I've wanted to do a story about their breakup because I wanted to experiment with this area. I was interested in it, so here it is! I have a long summer to kill before I school starts, so we shall see how long this takes? (Seriously, I finished all three seasons of Avatar: The Last Airbender in two days, no joke. And I've never watched it before) If I go according to my outline, it should take about ten chapters, give or take, but who knows? Originally, I didn't want to start this until school started, writing one-shots instead. However, I figured that I would NOT have the time to write a big story, so gotta take advantage of my free time right now!

Dedication: This story is dedicated to many people. The people who regret breaking another person's heart. The people who had their hearts broken. But mostly, the people who have been in that poor position known as "the mutual friend," enduring the moodiness and wrath of both parties when breakups went _real_ ugly.

* * *

Stage 1: False Acceptance

"They broke up."

For the first time in his twenty years of life, Uzumaki Naruto lost the desire for his routine, post-mission ramen.

"Sasuke-teme and Sakura-chan did _what_?" He asked, ignoring how loudly the answer echoed throughout his head. Or how his limbs went numb. Naruto knew that when Yamanaka Ino dragged him into her family flower shop, she would not bear good news.

His two best friends. Two people that he thought were meant for each other. Soul mates, if he dared enter that territory. For others, it sounded strange; Konoha's top medic-nin and the former traitor? Impossible, the civilians repeated like a mantra. But Naruto always thought they were a match made in heaven. Her light saving his darkness, her red clothes complimenting his blue tones, her optimism contrasting his cynic nature, all those opposite attraction theories that explained why the idea of Sasuke and Sakura together was perfect.

Because they were happy three weeks ago when Naruto last saw them holding hands, wishing him good luck for his mission.

Behind the counter, Ino nodded.

"It's true. Just last week," she explained. "It was really shocking."

"No shit it was! They can't be over! Before I left, I caught them getting frisky in the bed! That's what people in love do!" Naruto started to regret taking that three-week mission to transport the Fire Daimyo across borders. Guilt consumed himself; if only he had been here…

"First of all, Naruto, that's nasty! Stop barging into people's apartments! Secondly, a lot can happen in three weeks," said Ino. "Sakura wouldn't tell me about it. She just kept saying 'it was meant to be' and all that crap."

"I'll talk to her. Sakura-chan would never say that to me," Naruto convinced himself, exiting the shop.

* * *

"It was meant to be, Naruto," Sakura said casually, trudging through files in her cabinet.

Naruto scowled, silently cursing Ino for being right. At first, he went straight to Sakura's apartment, expecting to find her in pajamas, curled up on the couch with a pound of ice cream while dark mascara mixed with her tears. When he realized that Sakura was not at her home, he immediately ran to the hospital. It was there he unexpectedly found Sakura in her doctor's coat, standing up confidently with her hair tied up in a neat bun.

"But Sakura-chan, you guys were so happy! And perfect! What happened? How are you feeling? Do you need anything? 'Cause I'm right here! If not, there's Ino, but tell me too!"

"It just didn't work out. It's best that we stay friends," Sakura answered as her eyes trailed back and forth over the file cabinet.

"I'm not settling for that; please tell me! I'm your best friend! I know you and teme wouldn't end it after three years! And why did this happen when I was out of the village?" If Naruto had to be furious of anything, it was the fact that his two best friends decided to break up when he _wasn't_ around.

Sighing, Sakura pulled out a red folder before shutting the cabinet. "I'm sorry you had to come back to this Naruto, but...it just happened, so we have to move on."

"I won't! This can't be happening! What about Sasuke? Every since he came back, I've never seen him so happy! When he's with you, he's less of a jackass!"

Sakura laughed, but Naruto felt it was hollow. "Because that totally says something."

"And you too! Remember after he left, you never really smiled? I mean you did, but it was so..." Naruto closed his eyes, picturing a twelve-year-old Sakura crying her eyes out the morning after Sasuke's betrayal. "...forced. Then Sasuke comes back and you were your old self again. That's why I gave him permission to date you."

"Really now?" Sakura eyebrows furrowed as her green eyes scanned through the file. "I did have some fun times with him, but just because he returned from Konoha doesn't mean I promised to stay with him forever. If we were any other two people, you wouldn't be making a fuss out of this."

"That's because you two aren't any other people. You two are my best friends," Naruto grumbled, before adding quietly. "And you love him."

"Look, Naruto," he knew Sakura was irked, judging by her strict tone. "Everything is fine. I know he's still adjusting to coming back, and I'll continue to support him. Now, it's just as a friend, not his..." she faltered, her eyes downcast to the white tiles of the floor.

Naruto did not miss the new grip Sakura had on her file. She recovered quickly, smiling that fake smile she perfected during the years of Sasuke's departure. Others would think that smile meant she was well; Naruto had years with Sakura to know that it wasn't.

"It's done, okay? You may not like it, but Sasuke-kun and I are fine. It's best for the both of us."

Naruto made a noise similar to a strangled hyena. He crossed his arms, leaning against Sakura's desk when he noticed a framed photo in the corner of his eyes. As he examined closer, Naruto felt his stomach lurch.

In the photo was Sakura, wearing a red kimono, smiling cheerfully next to Sasuke. Though it was a festival that day, he still wore his standard white collared shirt and dark blue pants. His face showed no smile, yet one could see how relaxed he was next to Sakura, how softer his onyx eyes were than its usual grimness. Sasuke even had a hand resting on her small waist. They were so comfortable, Naruto thought.

Over a week passed since their so-called "breakup," and the picture never left its spot. _"It's best for the both of us" my ass. I bet teme's brooding over this like the angsty bastard he is..._

* * *

"Yeah, we're over," Sasuke confirmed nonchalantly. He lazily threw an array of shuriken at a training dummy.

"What is wrong with you two? You guys cannot be alright this fast!" Naruto screamed into Sasuke's face, annoyed by his indifference. "Weirdos!"

"Hn," Sasuke walked over to the dummy, pulling out his weapons.

"Sasuke, you and Sakura-chan just broke up after three years. That's a long time," Naruto explained, his voice weakening. "Are you sure you're alright? I know you're not much of a talker, but I'm here if you ever need anything-"

"Are you here to spar or yap?" Sasuke interrupted. "You're wasting my time."

"Talking about your breakup is not wasting time! Especially when it concerns Sakura-chan! The girl that was always there for you! Your only girl in the world! If you don't get back to her, it might be too late! You two were so happy!"

"If we were happy, we wouldn't have broken up," Sasuke muttered, rolling his eyes.

Curling his fists, Naruto glared at Sasuke. First, he had to deal with a stubborn Sakura about their breakup and now, an even more stubborn Sasuke. This breakup could not be real; he refused to acknowledge it until he found the answers. And the moment he found those answers, Naruto would do everything in his power to return his best friends to the way they were. Naruto lunged toward Sasuke, grabbing him by the shoulder.

"Teme, if you did anything to Sakura-chan…" Naruto growled dangerously. "...anything stupid like 'leave to protect her' bullshit even though Tobi and Kabuto are dead, 'cause it's not as noble as it sounds…"

Sasuke's eyes narrowed. "It didn't work out, so we broke up. Don't make a big deal out of this."

"I have to make a big deal because you two won't! Stop acting like this means nothing when I know it's killing you inside, you bastard! I won't accept it!" Maybe Naruto wasn't sure about the "killing you inside" part, but he liked to think that Sasuke was feeling miserable inside, whether he was the heartbreaker or the broken-hearted.

"You should," Sasuke pushed Naruto's hand away, freeing himself. "Accept that we tried and failed. Sak-She's more than fine with it." Hesitation, Sasuke rarely did with his words.

_Say her name, damnit…_ It irked Naruto that Sasuke didn't. He tried to read into those black eyes for any sign that those words did not match Sasuke's heart. In reality, Naruto only found mild irritation from his nagging.

Shoving his hands into his pockets, Sasuke walked away from the training grounds.

"I'm not giving up on this," Naruto stated lowly. _Not when you two haven't._

Sasuke did not slow down his pace, continuing to walk farther from Naruto. Even when his best friend was ten feet away, Naruto could see wrinkling on Sasuke's right pocket, formed from a newly clenched fist within.

* * *

_Lying on the blue hammock, Naruto tipped the chilled glass of sugarcane juice to his lips. It had been an exciting first day at the beach resort. Naruto and Sakura had eagerly jumped into the cool, shimmering ocean. Kakashi sat under an umbrella, quietly reading his orange book as always. Sasuke would have been lying on a beach towel if four of Naruto's clones carried him across the sand, dumping said Uchiha in the ocean. Within thirty seconds, the two boys engaged in an underwater duel that ended just as quickly from a fiery Sakura. She had lectured that they were here to relax, not commit homicide._

_Evening had fallen too quickly, and Naruto was beyond exhausted. When his lips met only ice cubes, Naruto stood up, seeking to refill his empty glass. He walked to one of the many bars on the resort, requesting another. Leaning against the counter, Naruto expected to see the beautiful, orange sunset over the ocean, framed by the curved palm trees. He grinned; he found something better._

_Walking barefoot down the beach were Sasuke and Sakura. He wore a plain white shirt and dark shorts; she, a mint sundress. From where Naruto sat, it appeared that Sakura was animatedly telling a funny story, which Sasuke listened intently, smirking._

_Sasuke must have said something to tease her, for he immediately ran away from a pissed Sakura chasing him. He dodged a playful kick from her, causing Sakura to accidentally fall into the water. She rose up, her clothes drenched and seaweed mingled in her hair, glaring at her boyfriend. Sasuke burst in laughter, atypical of him, until Sakura threw a starfish smack in his face. Shaking his head, Sasuke reached forward to help her up, pulling Sakura close to his chest. He whispered a few words, and then pressed his lips to hers. Smiling in delight, Sakura wrapped her arms around Sasuke's neck._

_Naruto chuckled. As much as he enjoyed interrupting their makeup sessions, he couldn't this time for a tender moment as this. They were lucky that he was extra thirsty at the moment, sipping his refilled drink. Plus, they were on vacation._

Only one year passed since they had their Team Seven beach trip to the coast of the Land of Waves. Yet, Naruto thought he just saw Sasuke and Sakura fondling on the beach just yesterday. They made their relationship look so easy, full of love. It hurt Naruto to imagine those two not cuddling on the couch or walking together or holding hands.

"No, it was probably over something stupid," Naruto told himself quietly, kicking a pebble on the road. "They didn't breakup! They're on a _break_. Yeah, that's more like it."

"But it's been a week, Naruto," Sai said next to him, his eyes reading the small book, _Men, Women, and the Logic in Between_. "According to this book, it means they're done."

"Shut up, Sai! This is Sasuke and Sakura-chan we're talking about here! I don't care what people say, they are not over!" Naruto shouted angrily. He didn't need people to tell him otherwise. _Because if they are, I don't know what will happen to Team Seven…_

"I understand that you are their closest friend, but why are you overly emotional about their breakup? Should that not be a matter between Sasuke-san and Sakura only?"

"Those two don't know any better, so shut up Sai!"

"If you say so, Dickless. But their reactions are unorthodox, don't you think so? They don't follow the Kubler-Ross model."

"The Kabbla what?" Naruto raised an eyebrow.

"The Kubler-Ross model, or the Five Stages of Grief. It is a widely-accepted model of the patterns of emotions people go through after experiencing a traumatic event, whether it is death of a loved one or a breakup," Sai explained, pointing to a circular diagram on a page. "As Sasuke and Sakura are fresh from their breakup, they should be in 'denial," the first stage. Denial is used as a coping method for dealing with the shock-"

"I know what denial is, Sai. What does this have to do with anything?" The last thing Naruto wanted on his mind was a textbook to tell him something he didn't like.

"Well, according to your observations of the two, they appear to be in 'acceptance.' That is the last stage."

"First, Sai, they aren't _really_ accepting it. And a stupid model isn't going to help; people react differently than science."

"But according to this book, it is scientifically proven that 95% of the human population follow the Kubler-Ross model from a study spanning over fifty years. From the books I have read, I've concluded that Sasuke and Sakura are an abnormal couple. Abnormality tends to be the minor population, so I assume they would be part of the 5% that do not follow the model. Therefore, we cannot predict their reactions accurately."

A mini seizure ran through his spine, Naruto figuring it was most likely out panic. He already had enough trouble dealing with Sasuke and Sakura at the moment, their too-quick acceptance of their breakup. He had dealt with those two on many, different times of their lives. A depressed Sakura after Sasuke's betrayal. A bloodthirsty Sasuke seeking to destroy Konoha. A motherly Sakura every time she treated his wounds. A lost, lonely Sasuke as he sought redemption. A sobbing, but overwhelmingly happy Sakura when she hugged Sasuke moment he first walked through the front gates after so many years. A caring Sasuke when he embraced her back. A cheerful Sakura when Sasuke asked her out nine months later. A mischievous Sasuke when people bothered a blushing Sakura about the several bruises around her neck.

For those times, Naruto knew how to take care of them properly. He knew how each of them would act, so he adjusted accordingly to their needs. If those two were having a moment, he would back off. If they were in the middle of a crisis, he would step in regardless of what they said. Though difficult, he always found a way to make everything better for them.

Swiftly out of nowhere, a new challenge crashed into Naruto's life, blindsiding him like nothing else: a post-breakup Sasuke _and_ Sakura.

* * *

Whoo, there's the first chapter! Thanks to all of you guys who made it through to the last word! Hopefully, due to my summer lovin' schedule, I can update again next week! This is so weird, writing again after I just finished a huge story too! If any of you guys are fans of the TV show _Friends_, I hope you caught the reference. Let me just tell you it concerns Ross and something he likes to say about his relationship with Rachel ;)

Just something I want to do with you guys if you decide to review. I have a question for you guys, just a game:

**Why do you guys think Sasuke and Sakura broke up?** I want to do this because when I finish this story, I want to look back and see what everybody thought. It's always fun to look back at our guesses.


	2. Stage 2: Bitterness

Hey guys! Thanks to those who made it to chapter 2! The responses for the stories have been pretty good so far. At this moment, there are 22 reviews, which makes me very happy! I know that the strength of a story should not be determined by the number of reviews it receives, but they do still make me happy. For me personally, anytime I have more than ten reviews per chapter, I like to think I'm doing good. Reviews do motivate me mucho because they remind me to do a better job than the last chapter.

So here's the situation: Originally, I had unlimited free time for fanfiction. That's not the case anymore. I recently signed up for an English class at the local community college because I didn't want to do English as a Second Language during the Fall term. Weird how I got placed into that right? I only speak Vietnamese when ordering food LOL. I didn't want to fight with the school about it because it's a bunch of pointless calls that get you nowhere, especially since it' summer, so th easiest way was to just take a course over the summer. It might make things slower, but it's only one class. Hopefully, I can still manage!

And here's the chapter guys! Have fun!

* * *

Stage 2: Bitterness

Three days had passed since Naruto discovered the breakup of his two best friends. He wasn't sure how Sasuke and Sakura were taking it, but he was devastated. If Naruto could find comfort through anything of this ordeal, it would be that his friends were not fans of the breakup too.

"I can't believe it happened," Tenten sighed, twirling a kunai in her hand. Naruto had found Team Gai and Team Asuma at the park, hence explained their gathering.

"I did not see it coming," said Choji.

"Nobody did," Neji agreed, much to Naruto's surprise; the Hyuuga boy rarely delved into people's romantic lives.

"While I was gone for three weeks, nobody saw _any_ signs?" Naruto cried.

From the picnic table, Ino nodded. "They're not the type to blast their relationship, Naruto. We may think it's all happy and lovey dovey, but what if they hid a deep, dark secret?"

"Oh my god, what if it's like a soap opera?" Tenten gasped, before smiling cruelly. "If it is, I have to document everything that happens, then sell the idea and I'll bank on it! Sasuke fits the perfect moody, angsty boy to Sakura's lovable girl-next-door! Who doesn't love a classic?"

Everybody had a sweat drop on their forehead, narrowing their eyes toward Tenten.

"You _would_ abuse their emotions to make money," Neji muttered underneath his breath, dodging a punch from his female teammate.

"It was a joke, Neji," Tenten gritted through her teeth.

With a floral handkerchief, Lee blew his noise. "It's so tragic! The beautiful love story of Sasuke-san and Sakura-san…WHY MUST IT END WHEN THEY'RE PERF-"

"They are _not_ over, Lee! They're on a break!"

"No, I'm pretty sure Sakura said 'we broke up,'" Shikamaru stated lazily.

"I don't understand the concept of 'being on a break.' Isn't it they're together or not?" Sai asked, flipping through his book rapidly.

"I've always thought that those two would get married," said Ino. "Now we can never embarrass Naruto for third-wheeling those two at Ichiraku's."

Ichiraku's. Naruto felt a bulb light up above his head. He wanted to slap himself for not thinking about that. Smiling cheekily, Naruto reached for Sai's arm, dragging him away from the park.

"Of course! I know how to solve their breakup!"

"Dickless, what are you doing?" Sai looked over his shoulder, where all their friends stared in confusion.

"We have to invite Sasuke and Sakura-chan to Ichiraku's! If we can get them to at least be near each other, they'll eventually walk out together, talk about their problems, and we'll eavesdrop!" Naruto explained excitedly. He could feel his feet skipping in delight of his brilliant plan.

"But is eavesdropping not considered rude in personal engagements?"

"Who cares? Just follow my lead! This is a Team Seven mission!"

"Technically, I was a temporary substitute for Sasuke. Also, as I am ANBU, I outrank your auth-"

"Shut up and come!" If his plan worked, it would only prove his theory that their breakup was a mistake, that it was over something stupid that could easily be fixed. They loved each other too much to allow a breakup.

* * *

"Ichiraku's? At six?" Sakura blinked before glancing down to her white watch. "That's late notice."

"Come on, Sakura-chan! I was gone for three weeks! I miss my ramen! Don't make me eat with butt boy all by myself!" Naruto pleaded, nudging toward Sai, who only smiled peacefully. They had, as many times before, barged into her office without announcing beforehand. Not that she minded, Naruto figured. He had done it so many times that it became a routine.

"But Naruto, I'm not finished until eight."

"It's okay! I talked to Shizune and she said it was fine! Can you come now?"

Sakura laughed. "Fine, just for you, Naruto! It's only us three, right?"

"Actually, we're invit-" Immediately, Naruto slapped his hand over Sai's mouth. Answering Sakura's dumbfounded look, Naruto chuckled uneasily.

"Ah, I w-wanted to invite Kiba and the others, but they were busy, so yeah! We'll see you at six, Sakura-chan! Bye!" And just as quickly, Naruto took Sai outside of her office. When they had exited the hospital by a good thirty feet, Naruto released Sai to the ground, frowning.

"What's wrong with you? We can't tell her that Sasuke's coming!"

"Why not?"

"If they knew the other was coming, the talk will never happen!"

"But don't you think there are-"

"Whoa, teme's here too? Just my luck!" Naruto smiled, catching up to his best friend down the road. Sasuke had exited the supermarket, one hand holding a brown grocery bag and his right hand shoved in his pocket.

"OI TEME!" Naruto saw as Sasuke's head flinched at his nickname. In two seconds, Naruto had thrown an arm around Sasuke's neck, much to his friend's annoyance.

"Don't touch me," Sasuke growled lowly, but Naruto didn't loosen his grip. The jingling from the grocery bag sounded like glass bottles to Naruto's ears, but he ignored it. He grinned slyly.

"Ichiraku's. Six o'clock. No excuses! Celebration time!"

"There's nothing to celebrate," said Sasuke, side-stepping away from Naruto's hold.

"Whoa, whoa. I just came back from a very dangerous mission-"

"Guarding the Fire Daimyo is not very hard." With his free hand, Naruto punched Sai in the shoulder.

"- _Alive_. I mean, what's better than that? Now ramen time or else I'll take you there myself!"

"Hn," Sasuke was already making his way back to his apartment. Naruto's grin did not lessen.

"Is the plan ruined?" Sai asked.

"Oh, he'll come. He always does," Naruto replied confidently, pounding on his chest. Nobody in the village was stupid enough to turn down an invitation to Ichiraku's, as Naruto believed. His plan had to succeed, even though he couldn't imagine it any other way. He had read once in one of Sakura's many medical textbooks that a déjà vu experience would bring in a surge of calming memories for people. Ichiraku's was no exception.

Closing his eyes, Naruto pictured the typical scene of Team Seven at Ichiraku's. The mental image made him smile.

_Sakura would sit in the middle. Sasuke always sits to her right and I'm her left. Sakura always gives extra beef to Sasuke because she knows he can build muscle during training. Sasuke needs his protein more than she does. Unless he's being a dick where he makes me pay for both of them. I only let him get away because he and Sakura-chan leave early to walk around the village at night. Together. When they're tired, they lie in the park and stargaze. Sasuke always walks her home, even though they live on opposite sides of the village. Sakura would heal certain muscles he strained during training. They would kiss each other goodnight and sleep, eagerly waiting to see each other in the morning. _

So maybe he did exaggerate the last bit, but Naruto didn't care. From how he saw those two act around each other, it wouldn't be a surprise. It also helped that he stalked some of their early dates. If he could recreate even the smallest moments, Sasuke and Sakura could return back to normalcy. Anything outrageous or huge would send them reeling in anger, thus ending in disaster. He had to be gentle with his best friends, especially when science itself couldn't prove the next stage.

_Psh, there isn't going to be a next stage because they'll be making out by evening_.

* * *

Naruto tapped his feet impatiently as stood in front of Ichiraku's. Sai was sitting on the chair, chatting with Ayame. Grunting, Naruto glanced over at the clock. 6:03, it said. Naruto was ready to tear his hair out.

"They're three minutes late! Where the hell are they?"

"If I recall, Naruto, you have been more than a half hour late in social engagements such as these in the past," said Sai.

"That doesn't mean Sasuke and Sakura-chan are allowed to do the same! Not when it's important!" Naruto snapped back. "What if they knew the plan and backed out? What if they really do hate-"

"There's Sasuke," Sai pointed over Naruto's shoulder. Indeed, Sai was right, as Naruto figured when he turned around.

"Teme, you're late!" Naruto yelled, watching Sasuke walk toward Ichiraku's, hands in his pockets as usual. His deep eyes were emotionless, cold and calm as usual. They showed no indication that he had endured a life crisis in the past few weeks.

Until Naruto saw those black orbs widen when a feminine voice spoke from the afar.

"Wow, Naruto, you're actually early for once!" Sakura exclaimed cheerfully, waving as she moved closer. Then just ten feet away from Sasuke, she halted.

They seem to be lost in each other's eyes, time stopping just for them. At this moment, Naruto didn't even care that they were three minutes late. He grinned, stopping himself from jumping in glee on his successful plan.

_Yes! Now they have that awkward, but not really awkward silence where they look at each other lovingly, remember the good times, have these innocent touches that accidentally meet, and-_

"Sasuke."

"Sakura."

Naruto's jaw dropped. _W-w-w-why do they sound so serious?_

If he wanted to be a realist, their tone leaned toward bitterness. No smiles. No longing eyes. No hints of desire. Their expressions were hard and calculating. Naruto crouched inwardly, looking back and forth between fierce jade eyes and cold black orbs. Their eyes were locked in a silent conversation, one that Naruto was eager to discover its content.

He hated this feeling of not knowing anything. Before, he knew that whenever Sasuke and Sakura gave each other "the look," it meant what plans they had for their midnight fun. But the intensity of this stare down, the wrath seething from both of them…Naruto just _had_ to be exactly five feet apart from both Sasuke and Sakura respectively. Right in the middle of the war zone.

"W-wow, looks like everybody's here! Who's ready for a big, friendly bowl of ramen?"

Naruto hoped his words had eased the tension, but instead, it worsened. Sasuke and Sakura's glare redirected to him, and he knew exactly they conveyed: _Why did you invite him/her?_ Naruto covered his mouth, praying that nobody heard him squeak like a mouse. He reminded himself to sleep with one eye open tonight.

"Well, I'll assume since nobody is moving, I shall be eating with Naruto alone. I guess Naruto can only eat with people who are mature enough to put behind personal problems," Sai said, smiling too gleefully.

Horrified, Naruto stood in the middle, unable to move. _Sai, you idiot! Way to piss them off!_

"Actually, we will be eating today. Aren't we, Sasuke-_kun_?" The feigned sweetness in her voice was so exaggerated, Sakura didn't even try to hide it. Even the "kun" sounded mockingly.

"Hn," Sasuke's right hand clenched underneath his pocket.

"Okay, let's sit down guys! Just like old times!" Naruto laughed nervously, pulling out a chair. His hands were shaking as he motioned to Sakura. "S-Sakura-chan, why don't you sit here and-"

Instantly, Sasuke sat to Naruto's left; Sakura, his right. Sasuke crossed his arms against his chest, leaning back to the chair. Sakura positioned her chin to lie on one hand, the other drumming the counter repeatedly. Both turned their heads in the opposite direction, avoiding eye contact. Naruto gulped; one empty chair separated both of them.

_I rather die than sit in the middle_. "S-Sai, why don't you take the most comfortable seat-"

"Ayame-san, I would love to accept your invitation to see Ichiraku's storage room," said Sai, deliberately ignoring Naruto. Smiling, Ayame led Sai behind Ichiraku's.

"DAMN YOU SAI! THAT WAS A CHEAP TRICK!"

"What's a cheap trick?" Sakura asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Ahahaha, nothing S-Sakura-chan!" Naruto replied, reluctantly sitting in between them.

He wasn't sure if the thousand needles poking through the seat was his imagination or not. The tension radiating from both Sasuke and Sakura was so thick, Naruto wanted nothing more than to seek refugee back home. But he had to pull through; it was merely the beginning of his plan. In time, it would be worth it. He reminded himself that it was okay to sacrifice an hour of ramen with two ex-lovers, knowing that it would result in a lifetime of happiness and love for Sasuke and Sakura.

"So guys… how was your day?" Naruto asked both of them; if anything, a conversation was the best choice to diffuse any initial awkwardness.

"Good," Sakura replied.

"Fine," Sasuke grumbled.

"Hey teme, you know 'fine' isn't how you describe a day. Put more life into it!" Naruto taunted Sasuke, elbowing him. He was desperate for a conversation among the three.

"It's okay, Naruto. We all know he has no desire to increase his vocabulary," Naruto could sense the bitter tone in Sakura's voice. Glancing over to his left, Naruto watched as Sasuke suddenly became rigid, ticked by Sakura's words.

"Alright, what does everybody want?" asked Teuchi, the owner of Ichiraku's.

"Salt ramen," said Sasuke.

"Pork ramen," said Sakura.

"Miso ramen everyday!" exclaimed Naruto, thankful for the old man's interruption.

"Ne, Naruto, you always have miso ramen. You should try something different," suggested Sakura.

"But Sakura-chan, it's been so long since I've eaten Ichiraku's," Naruto pouted. "It's my favorite bowl too."

"Eat whatever you want, Naruto. She's not your mother," Sasuke stated sternly.

Sakura glared toward Sasuke, making eye contact with him for the first time tonight. Fiddling with his fingers, Naruto gulped. His eyes bounced between Sasuke and Sakura. Once again, the two were in a silent argument, understood only by them.

_T-they aren't even hiding it_, Naruto thought disappointedly. His heartbeat increased, his forehead sweating in anticipation of whether Sasuke and Sakura would flip out of nowhere and start a yelling match. The worst part was waiting for _when_ it would happen tonight. It could be a matter of minutes, if not this second…

Naruto didn't realize he was holding his breath until Teuchi laid three bowls of ramen in front of them individually. He sighed, relieved to have food distract him. Chopsticks in his hand, Naruto dug right through into his ramen, slurping the noodles. The miso broth warmed his insides as if this was his spa. Eating at Ichiraku's was a lively ritual for Team Seven. They should be telling each other jokes, recalling stories of missions, or arguing about which movie they would watch later.

But after twenty minutes, Naruto could not forget the strange silence among the three. The only sound made was the slurping of noodles, and Naruto was a hundred percent sure he was the only one making that noise. He leaned over to Sakura. In her ramen bowl, there were untouched pork pieces, and Naruto felt his hopes renewed. _Old habits aren't easy to die,_ he thought.

"Ne ne, Sakura-chan, you have a lot of meat in there! And Sasuke doesn't have any! I have an amazing idea: why don't you give some to Sasuke?" Naruto grinned, eating more noodles.

"Sakura can keep the meat," Sasuke sneered. "She needs the energy to order people around."

Naruto choked on a noodle strand. He pounded his chest repeatedly, coughing. Sasuke and Sakura appeared unfazed by Naruto's near-death experience.

Sakura stabbed her chopstick into a piece of pork. "I only boss around cold jackasses."

A puddle formed underneath Naruto's chair, the blonde sweating profoundly. His body shook madly, unable to sit still.

"I never said you 'boss' people around, but since you said it first," Sasuke smirked victoriously, although the side of his lips twitched. "It seems that you accept it."

"At least one of us can give up their pride."

"What you think of me is not my priority."

"When was it ever?" Sakura rolled her eyes.

"W-w-wow guys, Sai's been in the backroom with Ayame for so long! I wonder what they could be doing, huh?" Naruto changed the subject, laughing nervously. He couldn't wait to release the Kyuubi on Sai for ditching him. "M-m-maybe he's learning how to mingle with them girls, getting some real practice, haha? Doesn't the idea just give you that feeling when you see a certain person, you just want to -"

Sasuke and Sakura paid no attention to Naruto, continuing on with their subliminal spat.

"Pride is necessary for a shinobi."

"Obviously since you're _always_ right," Sakura said sarcastically. "Anything to make you feel good."

"Is this another complaint about my 'ego?'" scoffed Sasuke.

"Oh, I have nothing against your ego. I like it because honestly," Sakura grinned devilishly. "It's the only big thing you have."

_Crack!_ Sasuke's chopsticks snapped.

If this was any regular day, and any other two people, Naruto would have fallen off his chair, clutching his stomach because it hurt so much from laughing. But because this was not a regular day, and because these two people were Sasuke and Sakura, he couldn't. All he could do was cower in fear of what was next in this subtle feud, holding in his breath.

"You could train all you want, but it'll always stay the same," Sakura said haughtily.

"So I should be like you and give up?" Sasuke snarled the last part.

That must have been the breaking point for Sakura. Naruto leaned toward Sasuke as Sakura's hand slammed bills on the counter, causing the bowls to shake. She stood up abruptly, walking away from Ichiraku's. Naruto wasn't sure if the glimmer he caught on Sakura's face was from the moon shining or tears trickling down her cheeks. In mere seconds, Sakura had disappeared into the darkness.

"Sakura-chan…" Naruto whispered helplessly. He thought that when Sakura left, she would have Sasuke to accompany her home, not alone.

Sasuke stood up, throwing bills on the counter as well.

"I'm out," His right hand in his pocket, Sasuke started walking away.

"Hey, hey, apologize to Sakura-chan! I don't know what that was but-Actually, tell me everything first!" Naruto asked, grabbing Sasuke's arm. "Teme, if you don't-"

"Leave me alone, Naruto," Sasuke growled so darkly that Naruto released on instinct. In the opposite direction of Sakura's house, Sasuke walked down the road. Sitting alone at Ichiraku's, Naruto hung his head low, biting his lips.

"Where did I go wrong with this plan?" Naruto whispered to himself.

Appearing next to him, Sai opened a book, flipping through the former page with the diagram. "Well, Naruto, if this makes you feel better, they seem to be in the 'anger' stage, which was the predicted second one. It seems that it is possible for them to follow the Kubler-Ross model."

"Anger, huh?" No, that wasn't anger, Naruto knew. Despite their fierce bickering, Naruto could tell that they were suppressing even more anger underneath. They withheld their true feelings about their breakup, holding back if only for Naruto's sakes. What he experienced today was simply the first layer; more would reveal itself in the following weeks. If he had more Team Seven dinners at Ichiraku's, and it ended up like today...

* * *

_He looked so tranquil in his sleep, his jet-black bangs splayed across his bangs. His breathing was even, his bare chest rising. Something about him sleeping made him appear young and innocent, as if he never left the village for revenge. _

_It was unfortunate they had to ruin Sasuke's peaceful sleep on his 18__th__ birthday._

_Holding a paintbrush dipped in red, Naruto looked to Sakura on the opposite side of Sasuke's bed. She nodded in confirmation, holding up her video camera. There was no other way for Naruto say to "happy birthday" to his best friend. At first, Naruto thought that Sakura had wanted to do something romantic for Sasuke on his big day, but apparently, she was more than excited to join the blonde when she heard of his evil plan. _

"_That's so immature," Sakura had scoffed, before smirking deviously. "Count me in." _

_The red light lit on, signaling that it was on "record." Naruto had to stop himself from snickering; he didn't want to wake Sasuke up. Steadily, he inched the paintbrush closer to Sasuke's face. Just as Naruto knelt on the side of the bed, he squeaked quietly when he felt a rough arm grab him around the waist, pulling him to a rough chest. _

"_Hmm…another round?" a low voice whispered dangerously. Naruto's eyes widened in horror. _

_Uchiha Sasuke was having a wet dream._

_It was the most beautiful thing they could catch on tape; hell, even Sakura knew it. She held her mouth as if in a frozen laughter, continuing to record the scene unfolding. Naruto was about to yell at Sakura to turn it off, until he felt Sasuke breath into his ear. _

"_Already want me down there…Sakura?" Then, Sasuke's fingers traced down to Naruto's stomach, then below…_

"_THAT IS NASTY, TEME!" Naruto screamed, thrashing around the bed so frantically that Sasuke had woken up. His onyx eyes flashed wide open, and on instinct, Sasuke had kicked Naruto off the bed._

"_DOBE WHAT THE HELL?" _

"_I SHOULD BE ASKING __**YOU,**__ FEELING ME UP LIKE THAT!" _

"_I THOUGHT YOU WERE SAKURA!" _

"_AND NOW WE ALL KNOW HOW YOU AND SAKURA-CHAN LIKE TO MAKE UCHIHA NARUTO! QUICK AND STRAIGHT TO THE POINT!" _

"_ENOUGH WITH THE 'UCHIHA NARUTO!' IT'S NOT HAPPENING!" _

"_Oh my –haha-oh god-hahaha-I can't-haha-breathe-ahaha-" Sakura clung to the wall, unsteadily holding the camera. _

_Tears brimmed around her eyes, but both boys knew it definitely wasn't out of sadness. She slid down the floor, laughing for what was the most humiliating hour of Naruto and Sasuke's life. Sakura seem to forget what indications this gave about her "bedroom life" with Sasuke; the boys suffered a far worse fate than she did__**. **__They had to make sure that Yamanaka Ino would not get her hands on that video, or else the whole village would know (she did)._

_Although Sakura's laughter was the loudest, Naruto was much more interested in Sasuke's expression. True to the situation, Sasuke was initially pissed at the idea of his girlfriend taping him accidentally fondle Naruto. Sakura's laughter had died to reluctant snickering. Naruto watched as Sasuke's eyes softened, staring only at Sakura. If he could create any theories about his best friend, Naruto would say that Sakura's voice had a soothing effect on Sasuke, as the line of his lips curved upward. Not yet a smile, but cheerier than a smirk. It seem that Sasuke long forgotten about murdering Naruto, for he quickly asked for breakfast, which Sakura was more than happy to make on his 18__th__ birthday. _

His stomach squeezed as Naruto recalled that memory. It was a time when Sakura could easily make Sasuke lose his stiff personae. All she needed to do was smile, speak, laugh, or be in his presence. Naruto could pull Sasuke into the most heated argument, but the second Sakura arrived, the Uchiha would lighten up, his attention immediately to her.

How easy it used to be for Sasuke and Sakura to make each other happy. Now it was nearly impossible for them to speak without making snide remarks.

Naruto sighed, glancing around him. He must have walked around the village for at least two hours. The only source of light left was the street lamps. He wondered, no _knew_, that Sasuke and Sakura still had their house lights on, thinking about their spat at Ichiraku's.

_Sasuke, she made you so happy without even trying. Sakura-chan, you had fun with him when we all thought it was impossible. Why would you guys ever want to let that go?_

"N-Naruto-kun?" a familiar voice stammered.

Naruto looked up, finding a dark-haired girl with pupiless, white eyes. Hinata was always a pale girl, but something about the moon shining down on her made her skin seem luminous in the night. She had a worried expression across her face, but Naruto could understand. He made no attempt to hide his mini depression of Sasuke and Sakura's breakup. It was well-known among their friends. Then again, he hadn't seen Hinata in a long time.

"Hinata-chan, what are you doing out this late?"

"Ano, I was just on my way home from Tenten's house," Hinata replied. "I-Is everything okay, Naruto-kun?"

"Don't mind that. Come on, I'll walk you home," Naruto smiled, rotating directions.

Hinata blushed. "W-W-What? But Naruto-k-kun, it's okay! I know the Hyuuga residence is f-far from your apartme -"

"But I can't let you walk alone when it's this dark. It's not a big deal!" Naruto insisted.

Hinata sighed in defeat, keeping her eyes to the ground. If he was a younger man, Naruto would have been oblivious to her reaction, then ignoring them simply because he thought it was part of her shy nature.

But after Pein's attack, followed by her sudden confession, everything started to become clear. Even so, Naruto was never quite sure how to respond. The war took several months and when it was over, he and Hinata had a silent agreement not to mention that love confession. Yet, Naruto could never get rid of the bile in his stomach for feeling such guilt of not saying anything about it. Nearly four years had passed, and they were in the same place as before. If only he knew how to approach this in a way that wouldn't frightened Hinata.

"Um, so h-how are Sasuke and Sakura doing?" Hinata asked.

"Oh, them? Um, well…" Naruto bit his lips. It stung to remember Sasuke and Sakura arguing just two hours ago.

"They're hurting, obviously. They pretend that it doesn't affect them, but I know that breakup hurt them both. It's just…I thought they were hurt out of sadness. But now I know it's because they're mad. I never thought that they would be angry at each other to this degree."

"They're angry? B-But wasn't it a mutual breakup?"

Naruto nodded, his eyebrows furrowing. "That's what I thought too, but apparently…mutual doesn't always mean a clean breakup."

No longer could Naruto tell himself that their breakup was over a stupid matter. Not when Sasuke and Sakura were doing everything in their power to make the other feel as pathetic as they were hurting.

_It'll get better, it always does for those two_, but that voice in his head was weakening.

* * *

Oh yeah, this is for me personally, but I wanted to do a playlist of the songs I listened to while I wrote this chapter. I want to look back at the memories and see what I was listening to at the time because my taste of music is completely different from freshman year. I doubt I got much inspiration from these songs since they're not that related (well, to a certain point maybe). It was just music in the background because I want to have a life soundtrack, teehee.

"Drinking Again" Frank Sinatra

"The Girl from Ipanema" Frank Sinatra

"Don't Wake Me Up" Chris Brown

"Lovely" John West ft. Pusha T

"Sounds Market" Jereen Lee

"Romance" John Williams on Spanish Guitar

"Don't Know Why" Norah Jones

"All That Shine" by Childish Gambino

"Illuminating" by Haley

7/6/2012


	3. Stage 3: The Child Treatment

Long time no see, guys! Sorry the late update! How long has it been, over 2 weeks? I know that it's summer, but I do apologize for the late update. I thought that with summer, I would have faster updates, but then again, I've been hanging out with friends a lot and summer classes. Also, I did some hardcore editing for this chapter! I honestly had a lot of trouble formulating and arranging this chapter, trying to get certain words out. Hopefully, I gave it justice! Again, let me know what you think!

Here's a random thought. I was watching the trailer for _Django Unchained_ and it got me thinking: What if I made a Naruto fanfiction...SET IN THE WILD WEST? Yeah, it's crack, putting Japanese names for cowboys. But wouldn't that be crazy and awesome? Sasuke fits the perfect vengeful wild western boy and Naruto the bumbling, happy guy that he meets unfortunately? Unlikely to happen, but...who knows? Now back to the story!

* * *

Stage 3: The Child Treatment

After that incident at Ichiraku's, Naruto was hesitant to hang out with Sasuke and Sakura at the same time. He didn't want to risk enduring another fiery argument between the two. So for one week, Naruto made no attempts. He would be patient for this one time. He hoped that once the two blew off some steam, they would be more willing to be within five feet of each other. Even if they endured a bad breakup, Sasuke and Sakura were mature people. Naruto believed that they would descend into a gradual sadness; nobody could hold a grudge that long.

Unfortunately, Naruto forgot about who exactly he was dealing with. One was Uchiha Sasuke, a boy who held a grudge against his older brother for nearly ten years, only to redirect that grudge to Konoha in mere seconds. And there was Haruno Sakura, a girl who if you broke her trust in two seconds, it would take months for to win it back (as poor Sasuke discovered upon his return).

Therefore, Naruto was wrong. Terribly wrong.

He should have known something was out of place when Sakura innocently invited him to a picnic.

"It's tomorrow at the park! You should really try Choji's secret steak sauce. It's amazing! And Shino's bringing honey made from his clan's beehive!"

"Sakura-chan, you know I'm there when free food is involved!" Naruto replied. "Everybody's going, right?"

"Yep! Team Asuma, Gai, Kurenai, ours, the usual bunch. Bring something small-no, you cannot bring ramen. Everybody's sick of it!"

Naruto pouted, rising his chin up childishly. "Che, at least I don't bring tomatoes like teme's gonna do!"

"Oh, I'm sure he won't," There was a crooked smile on Sakura's face that made Naruto uncomfortable. She was too positive about Sasuke. Unless-

"Hey, is Sasuke even coming to the barbeque?" But Sakura was already heading back to the hospital, claiming that she was "late" for work. Naruto should have replaced "coming" with "invited."

The next day, Naruto forced himself to wake up early. He ate his usual cup ramen and glass of milk for breakfast before pulling on a black shirt and orange pants. He exited his apartment and walked toward the nearest grocery store. Sakura had told Naruto to bring something small, and small he would find. He thought about simple things such as guavas and apples, the snacks people ate in-between big meals.

He was about to round the last turn when he felt somebody grab his shoulder. Soon, Naruto felt he was sliding backwards on his heel, glaring at the owner of the hand. He saw the back of messy black hair.

"Huh, teme?" Naruto noticed how they were heading to the training grounds.

"Spar with me, dobe," Sasuke demanded. His voice sounded more annoyed than usual. Naruto was sure Sasuke woke up on the wrong side of the bed. If not, some unlucky idiot managed to piss the former avenger.

"B-But I have to buy food for the picnic. Sakura-chan will get mad at me!" Naruto shut his mouth. He probably shouldn't have mentioned Sakura's name, for he saw how Sasuke stiffened slightly.

"Hn." Sasuke threw him to the other side of the field. "Fight me or be a chicken forever."

If Naruto could trust his best friend with anything, it was the fact that Sasuke could pump Naruto up anytime for a fight. Naruto smirked; who cared about a picnic? There was going to be plenty of food anyway. He had his honor to defend.

"You're gonna regret this, teme!" The last thing Naruto saw was a flash of blue lightning before blacking out ten minutes later.

* * *

Opening his blue eyes, Naruto found himself back in his room, the evening rays sneaking through his window. The softness underneath him indicated that he was back in his bed. As he tried to sit up, a searing pain ran through his head. His body was sore from today's spar with Sasuke. The bandages around his bare body, however, was something Naruto knew Sasuke would never do. Which meant only one thing…

The answer came to him from outside his room, in the form of a screaming voice.

"Look what you did to him, Sasuke! He could have been in the emergency room!" Yep, Sakura was definitely in his house.

He watched through his open door as Sakura was lecturing Sasuke, who leaned against the wall, hands shoved in his pockets. His face was cold and emotionless, showing no shame of his actions.

"Worse things have happened in our spars."

"You made him miss out the picnic! _My_ picnic!"

"Hn, one less person for your party."

"Ugh you're impossible!"

"H-Hey, g-guys," Naruto croaked, supporting himself on his arms. His headache grew worse from all the arguing. "W-What happened?"

"Oh don't you dare get up, young man! That is what you get for being a reckless, rowdy idiot!" Sakura yelled at him, running quickly to his side. She jabbed a finger to his chest, forcing him back to lay on his bed.

Naruto was too tired; he didn't care if Sasuke and Sakura continued to argue. He wanted sleep to overtake him again. He justified that he couldn't do anything with their breakup when he could barely stand up. He preferred sleeping in a dream where Sasuke and Sakura were laughing and smiling together, not ripping each other throats. It was a pointless argument, anyway; they would clear up later.

He was wrong, again.

The next morning, Naruto found a note by his table. Although the writing was messy, Naruto knew it was from Sasuke. Strange, Naruto raised an eyebrow. Sasuke had never left a note for him before.

**Hokage's office. 8 AM. Mission.**

Naruto sighed; Sasuke was always straight to the point.

Either way, he felt pumped up. Naruto grabbed the nearest cup noodle on the table, poured hot water inside, and waited for it to heat up. It had been a while since he had a mission with Sasuke. Besides, it would guarantee some good male-bonding time about the breakup.

When the noodles had softened, Naruto licked his lips. Picking up the noodles with his chopsticks, Naruto blew on the steam, cooling it. He smiled greedily.

"Itadakimasu!" He slurped the noodles heartily. By the time he reached the bottom, he felt something funny stir in his stomach. He felt queasy, rubbing his stomach in circle. Groaning painfully, he scanned his counter for painkillers, but found none.

"M-Maybe I should go to S-Sakura-chan," Naruto told himself. Yes, that would be the right thing to do. Sakura always knew how to fix these problems. He knew Sasuke would understand a little tardiness.

An hour later, he found himself on the hospital bed. He laid there, watching as Sakura tapped her foot too cheerfully, her lips widening into an awkward grin.

"Well, well, Naruto, that's what you get for eating expired ramen," Sakura shook her head, jotting down notes on her clipboard. "I guess you'll just have to stay here for the whole day."

"But Sakura-chan, it's just stomach pains," Naruto whined. His stomach gurgled again. Somehow, he felt worse than this morning. "A-And I need to report to Tsunade-bachan for the mission with Sasuke-"

"Well, you just have to skip out, ne? I mean, you must be in _so_ much pain," Sakura smiled back at him. There was something victorious about her smile that Naruto didn't like. It didn't help that her eyebrows quirked at Sasuke's name. "I'm not allowing you to leave until tomorrow morning. Bear with me, Naruto."

Naruto sighed in defeat, landing back on the bed. As his head hit the pillow, he heard the door slam, as if blown open by a furious gust of wind. The new visitor didn't bother to address Sakura, and Naruto was not surprised.

"Dobe, out of bed. We have a mission."

A loud snap followed; Sakura just broke her pencil in half. Naruto curled under the blankets even deeper. He hoped nothing else would break today, especially with Sasuke and Sakura in the same room. And poor Naruto was helplessly stuck in the hospital bed.

"He's not well enough to leave," Sakura replied too sweetly. Naruto wondered if Sakura purposely sounded fake to annoy Sasuke. Because she was very successful. He peaked from underneath his blanket, watching Sasuke's eyes darken.

"You poisoned him."

Naruto bit on the blanket to prevent himself from making noises. What on earth was Sasuke talking about?

"I did no such thing."

"You replaced all his good ramen with expired ones last night."

"Why would I do that? You know I always do the opposite since Naruto never remembers."

"Is this about your stupid picnic? Revenge on me?"

"Ask yourself, seeing as you're the expert."

He couldn't believe this; were those two really going to argue again for the second day in the row? On something pointless as this? Well, Naruto didn't consider his life pointless, but the fact that Sasuke and Sakura detracted from it was saying something. And why did Naruto get the feeling their arguments had subliminal meaning that would later force him to work his butt off to figure out the answer? It was only the third argument Naruto experienced, yet he felt ticked off. Naruto didn't want to just hide under the bed; he wanted to fall into a dream world where Sasuke and Sakura married and had four kids named Sousuke, Kimiko, Kenji, and (of course) Naruto.

"Ugh, this is exactly why we broke up!" Sakura yelled, storming out of the room.

Naruto had been so deep in thought that he hadn't bothered to listen to the rest of their argument; he thought it was stupid bickering! But then they entered the climax, which meant…

He sat straight up. Sasuke was already following Sakura outside, muttering curse words tied with Sakura's name. "Hey, come back here you guys! You can argue all you want why you two broke up right her-" Sasuke slammed the door shut behind him, leaving Naruto alone in the room.

Frustrated, Naruto threw his pillow at the door. "DAMNIT IT YOU TWO JUST _HAD_ TO LEAVE WHEN IT GOT INTERESTING! WHY DO I ALWAYS MISS THE GOOD PARTS?" Sasuke and Sakura really were sneaky. It just made Naruto even more curious and angry at their breakup; they were dodging every notion of it in front of Naruto.

_Tch, now I wish that they followed Sai's stupid Abra Kadabra model_, he thought bitterly.

The door knob twisted, and Naruto felt his hope renew. But that two-seconds of hope disappeared when instead of seeing Sasuke and Sakura, it was three different people. Shikamaru, Ino, and Kiba slowly walked into Naruto's room, wide-eyed and appalled. It wasn't hard to determine why; Naruto could still hear Sasuke and Sakura quarrelling in the hallways, and those three would have seen it on the way in.

"Oh my god," Shikamaru spoke first. "It's true."

"I never thought I would see it with my own eyes," Kiba gasped.

"What came true?" Naruto asked, perplexed. "And why are you guys here?"

"Actually, we were here to visit Choji after he choked on the rib yesterday," Shikamaru explained quickly. "But Sasuke and Sakura…they're in it _really_ deep."

"It can't be, Shikamaru! That's a complete myth!" Ino argued.

"But look what happened to him, Ino!" cried Kiba. "Sasuke and Sakura are clearly in the 'child treatment' stage! It's _real_."

"Back up. What that hell is that?" Naruto had never heard of such a stupid thing before. "Sasuke and Sakura have always been acting childish in this breakup, but-"

"It's not about them acting like children. This only happens to couples who want everything to appear fine, that they moved on, but really have more to fight about. The only way they can fight subliminally is through an external force: the mutual friend. They see the breakup as a 'competition,' trying to win over the friend. In the process, they treat the mutual friend as a child," Shikamaru explained. "And that child, Naruto, is you."

Naruto scoffed. "That's stupid! They don't act like parents to me! Sure, Sakura-chan worries, but she's a doctor, so it's natural."

"Look at it this way, Naruto. When a couple divorces, what's the number one source of trouble in the settlement?" Ino asked.

That was an easy question for Naruto. "Child custody."

"Exactly," Shikamaru stated sternly.

It took Naruto a minute to digest Shikamaru's meaning. When he did, his face was pallid. He wanted to deny it. There was no way that Sasuke and Sakura were acting like two divorced parents. If anything, Naruto was the parent trying to maintain the peace.

He was about to dispute their claims until he heard two voices engaged in an intense argument.

"For the last time, Sasuke, he needs rest! He can't go on the mission!"

"Naruto's a big boy. He's strong enough to go."

"No, he isn't. He needs to heal, especially those wounds you gave him from beating him up."

"It was a simple spar, Sakura. And what doesn't kill him makes him stronger."

"That is such boy talk! I refuse to allow him to go on the mission."

"I'm saying he _is_ allowed."

"You're not his father!"

"And you're not his mother!"

Kiba snickered uncontrollably. "What did we tell you, Naruto?"

* * *

Even after he was released from the hospital, Naruto took their theory with a grain of salt. He didn't care if Sasuke and Sakura had _one_ argument that Naruto imagined typical parents would. How would he know? He never had parents, and this was the one time he allowed himself to grace with that reality. Those two just haven't spent enough time with Naruto. They just rather not spend with the other at the same time.

But slowly and surely, Naruto found himself agreeing with that theory. Because whenever Sasuke or Sakura invited him to hang out, it was _weird_.

"Naruto, could you please help me deliver medicine around the village? The hospital is really understaffed," Sakura had asked with pleading, puppy eyes.

He never got the chance to answer, as Sasuke had forcefully pulled him away by the collar, mumbling something about "training." Naruto didn't want to say anything as he saw Sakura's fuming face from the distance.

Days later, a first for humanity happened: Sasuke suggested the two should hang out.

"Your choice, dobe." And asking for Naruto's opinion on food.

"ICHIRAKU'S IT IS!" On Naruto's way back home, he was kidnapped by Sakura and the girls, who then dragged him to a night club. Although he had no memory of the club, Naruto did remember waking up to Sasuke punching him. He must have been furious for being left alone at Ichiraku's, looking like an idiot.

If that was weird to him, then next week was beyond strange.

"Oh dear, Naruto, there are a lot of holes in your pants," Sakura had noted, pointing to rips on Naruto's track pants. She smiled brightly, and Naruto knew that meant she had an idea that he doubt he would be fond of. "We should go shopping! I'll help you find some big boy pants and get you a kiddie bento, ne?"

"Dobe, let's go fishing. The market ran out of salmon," said Sasuke, having arrived at his apartments with two fishing rods.

"Naruto, don't you want to go to the zoo? You could see the frogs, elephants, lions, and so much more! They even have monkey-shaped popsicles!"

"Naruto, let's watch an underground ninja fight."

"Naruto, you shouldn't train all the time. You could twist an ankle."

"Naruto, suck it up. You don't need the hospital for a few broken bones."

"Naruto, be quiet in the hospital! And stop squirming! It's just a bandage for your boo-boo."

"Naruto, don't be a little girl and take that pink bandage off."

"Naruto!"

"Naruto!"

"**NARUTO**!" Naruto shuddered when he heard two voices scream his name angrily. And it was the two voices he dreaded hearing for the past two weeks. A vein popped on his forehead.

_T-T-T-They're trying to kill me!_

"Gah, somebody help!" He begged to no one in particular. When he spent time with Sakura or Sasuke, he didn't feel loved. He felt like a toy that two toddlers fought over, something they refused to share. He needed an escape, anything to not see eye-to-eye with Sasuke or Sakura.

His eyes lit up when he spotted Hinata, who was occupied at the dango shop. Hope was renewed.

"HINATA-CHAAAAANNN!" He screamed, running madly toward said girl. "Oh H-Hinata-chan, please f-forgive me for being late for our _hangout_-" Naruto made sure he emphasized that part loudly enough for Sasuke and Sakura to hear. "-that we _totally_ planned for!"

Naruto thought he made the "help me and I'll love you forever" face because Hinata understood immediately. Hinata looked behind him, watching as Sasuke and Sakura paused before spotting Naruto. Cheeks tinted red, she nodded toward Naruto.

"I-It's no problem, Naruto-kun. Let's go inside," Hinata replied shyly, nudging to the dango shop.

He felt guilty for pushing Hinata into the shop, but Naruto was desperate to avoid Sasuke and Sakura. It irked him to deal with their needs for his time. Naruto thought it was, in the words of Shikamaru, troublesome. It was at the point where he rather do paperwork for Tsunade over hanging out with those two.

Naruto pulled a seat by the window for Hinata, who thanked him quietly. He sat down opposite of her, his eyes peering through the window. He watched as Sasuke and Sakura walked from opposite directions of the road. They paused right in front of each other, glared, then proceeded to walk away.

The scene made Naruto wince. He curled his fist, eyes downcast. For a sunny day as this, Naruto expected Sasuke and Sakura to yell at him for stalking their dates. Now, they wanted Naruto for themselves, hoping to avoid the breakup topic when it was obvious how it was affecting them.

"A-Ano, Naruto-kun?" Naruto looked up to meet Hinata's eyes. They had a pearlescent quality that made them look pretty to him.

"Oh right, dango! Sorry, Hinata-chan! Um, what do you want?" Naruto asked, picking up the menu.

"Iie, y-you don't have to do that. If you want to l-leave, then-"

"No, don't be like that! You helped me out there, so let me treat you! It's the least I can do for you! Besides…" Naruto smiled weakly. "…I rather be with you than two angry lovebirds."

He was speaking the truth, and his insides clenched. Never did he think he would reach a point in his life where all he wanted was to avoid Sasuke and Sakura at all cost. Naruto didn't believe he could stand those two arguing any longer. If he had to endure them fighting over him one more time, Naruto would crack.

* * *

For the first time in weeks, Naruto was right. Too bad it did not make him feel any better.

All it took was one Friday afternoon at the supermarket. He was merely stocking up on cup noodles and (on Kakashi's insistence) salad mix when he felt two people marching down his aisle. He did not like how a flash of pink came from neither the left nor the bob of spiky black hair from the right.

"Hey, Naruto, do you want to go-"

"Oi, dobe, get back to the train-"

"I've had enough!" Naruto screamed at the two, dropping his grocery basket to the ground. His stacks of cup noodles toppled across the aisle. Both Sasuke and Sakura stopped in their tracks, both wide-eyed and confused at Naruto's burst of anger. He didn't care about people giving him dirty looks. Hell, he could care less about the little boy who ran to his mother out of fear. Uzumaki Naruto knew he lost all self-control today, and he didn't want to do anything about it.

"Exactly what are you two trying to prove, huh? Who moved on first? Bullshit! You two wouldn't be using me in this stupid fight in the first place! If you guys want to settle it, say it to each other's face! Stop pretending like everything's fine because I know it's not!"

"Calm down, Naruto," Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"He's right. You don't want to cause a scene," Sakura glanced over her shoulder at the unwanted audience.

"Oh, _now_ you two decide to agree on something. Isn't this just precious?" Naruto laughed mockingly. "Did you two agree to disagree anytime you're within ten feet of each other? Was agreeing to break up just as easy?"

"Naruto, stop being immature!" Sakura reprimanded him. Sasuke scoffed, his face hardening.

"I'm immature? Take at look at you and Sasuke! You two have been the most immature idiots ever since the breakup! Was your relationship so bad that you two had to use me in this silly competition? Because I thought you guys loved each other!"

He couldn't shout anymore, not when he felt his throat dry. He stopped, breathing heavily. He glared back and forth between Sasuke and Sakura, waiting for a response from any of them. But they didn't say a word. The only sound in the market were the citizens' chatting, some whispers about Naruto's outburst. He saw how Sakura's head lowered, ruining her usually perfect posture. Sasuke had stuffed his hands in his pockets-honestly, what was it with Sasuke shoving his hands into pockets? It was an annoying habit of his best friend, but Naruto felt like Sasuke was doing it every minute.

Throughout it all, Sasuke and Sakura never made eye contact.

Naruto didn't even bother to pick up his grocery. He didn't want to be around his friends right now. Quietly, he walked out of the market, not even pausing to see what would happen next. He wanted to look through the window at the possibility of Sasuke and Sakura reconciling after Naruto's shouting.

But he didn't care right now. He didn't care anymore. He was too angry at them. Anything left to say would be pointless.

* * *

_Two tents. Team Seven always took two tents with them for every mission they went on. Kakashi came occasionally, but it was usually just Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura. One tent for Naruto, the second for Sasuke and Sakura together. When those two first started dating, they were hesitant to share a tent with each other, not wanting to deal with Naruto and Kakashi's teasing. Then one day, Sasuke told Sakura not to bring another tent, that they would be sharing. Naruto remembered counting the days until he became godfather to their children._

_One night, Naruto thought he was right about his guess. While camping in the forest one night, Naruto had woken up to a loud cry and shuffling outside. Peeking through his tent, he glanced to his left. The movement came from Sasuke and Sakura's tent. And there were quiet pants. He grinned wickedly, reaching for a nearby flashlight. Who knew that those two liked to get kinky in the woods? Oh, he couldn't wait to embarrass them on the spot. Did they really think he would sleep through this whole ordeal? He wasn't a log as they assumed. _

_He tip-toed to their tent, halting centimeters away from the zipper of their tent. He pulled it down slowly, making sure it made no sound. He was about to flash the light into that tiny hole, but then his eyes peaked through, widening in surprise. His heart squeezed at the scene before him. _

_Inside, Sasuke was panting loudly, several beads of sweat running down his upper body. Even his hair was moist. He had never seen Sasuke look so pained and scared, as if he was a little boy who just saw a monster. His black eyes were wide open, never blinking. Naruto saw how Sakura had one hand clutching Sasuke to her chest. Her fingers raked through his dark hair, soothing him. Naruto thought Sakura looked worried as she held Sasuke tightly to her. _

"_They're …huff…gone…huff…I-I couldn't…huff…" Sasuke's voice was hoarse. Did he scream earlier? From a nightmare?_

"_Shhh, breathe, Sasuke-kun, breathe…" Sakura whispered softly as Sasuke buried his head into the crook of her neck. She tried to sound calm, but her voice was just as shaky as Sasuke's. "…it's okay. I'm here...I'm here…" _

Naruto cursed himself. He really did have an immature mind-set. It was those vulnerable moments of Uchiha Sasuke, like sleeping next to each other, that allowed Sakura to connect to a cold person like him. Even when she had no idea what to do, which Sakura often felt as Sasuke's girlfriend, she was always there. She would never judge him, because Sakura knew he was Sasuke. She understood what happened in his life. And only a strong girl like Sakura could handle being with Sasuke, despite his mood swings and hard personality.

"So why are they so angry? What happened when I was gone?" Naruto mumbled to himself. He stood at the red bridge where Team Seven met (or used to) everyday. Sasuke and Sakura always came to the bridge first. And sometimes, if Naruto woke up early enough, he would catch those two kissing.

He didn't believe it could go downhill in less than three weeks. Sasuke and Sakura, two people who have endured so much in their lives, would not give up the other for just anything.

Naruto sighed deeply. Tomorrow, he would find out. He was done sitting by the sidelines. Sasuke and Sakura could only hide the reason behind their breakup for so long. But deep down, a part of Naruto didn't want to know; that meant accepting their breakup truly happened.

* * *

Whoo yay to another chappie! Keeping up with the last one, here's the playlist of all the songs I listened to whie writing this chapter!

"2 Reasons" Trey Songz ft TI

"No Church in the Wild" Jay-Z, Kanye West, Frank Ocean, The Dream

"In the Mood" Glenn Miller and Band

"Lightning" The Wanted

"Miami 2 Ibiza" Swedish House Mafia ft. Tinie Tempah

"Catching Feelings" Justin Bieber

"We Found Love" Rihanna

"Motivation" remix Kelly Rowland ft. Trey Songz and Busta Rhymes

"Moonwalking" Late Night Alumni

7/25/2012


	4. Stage 4: The Blame Game

**AN:** Hey, guys! Long time no see! Sorry for the slow update! I just finished summer classes and Olympics are over so it's back to writing! Like I said, this will be a shorter story than I usually write. After this one, I'm estimating about 2-3 chapters left depending on how fast I want things to move. My plan is finish this before the end of September, which is when school starts for me. Damn, time is going back fast! I have a little over a month before I start. It's crazy! I still haven't bought a laptop for school either eek! What do you guys suggest? My preference is an ultrabook, but anything under 1000 dollars is good for me! Also for you college peeps, what should I bring to dorms? UCSD is in a suburban area if it helps! I'll be so thankful for your help because packing is stressing me out like CRAY CRAY!

Oh yeah, a few people messaged me about how even though this is rather light for a breakup story. I'm very honored that you think that way, but my inspiration for the humor comes from a very simple quote a friend of mine once. It went along the lines of this, since it's impossible to remember his exact words: "As much as we want it to be, a breakup is never _really_ between just two people. What about the friends who saw those two as their OTP?" Classic. That really shaped my approach to this story. I've read a lot of angsty, sad, dramatic breakup stories that made me cry and tear up, so I wanted to experiment by adding some fun too. I know who I am as a writer, and that is not a dramatic, angsty one. Sure, I'll do one-shots of those to play around, but that's not me. It's not like they're doing anything cruel, so that's why I'm comfortable writing about it.

Enough of my rambling ahh! I did promise to make these author's notes shorter, moving them to my tumblr instead. Do you guys enjoy these? I feel like I talk too much. But I love talking. I'm proud of that. I won "best storyteller" for senior superlatives. All I do is yak, yak, yak LOL.

* * *

Stage 4: The Blame Game

"As our generation will soon oversee Konohagakure, it is our duty to investigate any matter that threatens the peace, hence why we have all gathered together. We are here today to solve the biggest crisis the village has seen since Inuzuka Kiba was temporarily diagnosed with a cat obsession," declared Tenten, standing up proudly among her peers AKA the Konoha 12. Once again, everybody was sitting in the circle at the park, watching Tenten flick out her fan.

"It is a crisis that has confounded many, if not all. Konohagakure's peace rests in their next actions that could affect us for the months to come, years maybe. So, my friends, let us ask ourselves:

"Why the hell are Uchiha Sasuke and Haruno Sakura being drama queens about their breakup?"

"I know, right?" Ino jumped up. "Yeah it was a bad breakup, but they are going overboard! Can they at least be civil?"

"Just being in the same building as those two is awkward enough," Choji nodded.

"I still do not understand. How can Sasuke and Ugly still be in the 'anger' stage?" Sai inquired. "Has that stage extended for them? Those two are an extraordinary case."

"Something really big and terrible must have happened. They wouldn't break up because they were annoyed with each other," Ino replied.

"Tch, yeah they would," Shikamaru snorted. Only Naruto heard him, as everybody else moved on with their theories.

"Please, allow me to demonstrate what everyone's thinking now. Boys," Kiba glanced back between Shino and Neji. "Back me up here!"

"No," Neji muttered, but gave up when Kiba pulled him up by the arm.

"Sometime last month, some big bad wolf with a deep, vengeful hatred for Sasuke comes and threatens him with Sakura!" Kiba began loudly. "Shino?"

Understanding Kiba's aim, Shino sighed. "'Sasuke, if you don't do this stupid-end-of-the-world deed, I will kill your lover with the abnormally large forehead and freak hair,'" Shino mumbled in a monotone, acting as the "villain."

"Then, being the angsty bastard he is, Sasuke will say this shit to Sakura-" Kiba grabbed Neji by the shoulder, surprising the Hyuuga.

"'Oh, Sakura. We have to break up. You mean nothing to me. My love for you was a big, fat lie! You don't deserve a bastard like me! I'm a monster! You need Inuzuka Kiba, that hot sexy beast!'" Kiba wailed in his best imitation of Sasuke's voice, before reverting back to his own. "And Sakura will go-"

"'Wow, you are so mean, Sasuke. You shatter my weak heart. Why oh why do I still love you after all the times you hurt me?'" Neji sounded annoyed. He didn't bother to fake Sakura's voice.

"And KABOOM!" Kiba stroke a victory pose, grinning. "That is the story of how Uchiha Sasuke and Haruno Sakura broke-"

"Psh, that was _so_ two years ago," Ino scowled.

"With one of Orochimaru's weird underlings," Choji continued.

"But it didn't work," Tenten grinned.

"B-Because it was only for an hour," Hinata added.

"IT WAS SO BEAUTIFUL! THE LOVE SASUKE-KUN HELD FOR SAKURA INCREASED HIS STRENGTH! HE WAS SO POWERFUL TO DEFEAT THE ENEMY SO QUICKLY!" Lee cried.

"No, I remember Sakura was there when that Sound guy threatened Sasuke," Neji corrected.

"And she beat the shit out of that troublesome idiot," Shikamaru groaned.

"People always forget about Sakura's superhuman strength," Shino mumbled.

"Honestly, who on earth is stupid enough to go 'yo Uchiha, Imma kill your woman if you don't do what I say' when Sakura's there too? God, villains need to get it right," Ino shook her head.

Kiba's jaw dropped. "HOW THE HELL DID I NOT HEAR ABOUT THIS?"

As much as Naruto wanted to join in his friends' antics, do anything to relax and have fun, he could not. He didn't feel right having a good time while Sasuke and Sakura were going through a terrible ordeal. Then again, he didn't want to face those two either, not after his outburst at the supermarket. Ever since that incident, Naruto had not seen his two best friends at all.

Quietly, without any of the Konoha 12 noticing, Naruto stood up and walked away from the park. It didn't feel right being with others right now either; for a moment, Naruto wanted to be alone.

Maybe he shouldn't do anything this time. He had attempted twice and nothing good came out of it. He tried to work with those two, but it was hopeless.

_I need to get out of here, just for a day or two..._

* * *

Apparently, the world decided to mess with him today.

Naruto closed the door gently behind him, having just met up with Shizune, the Hokage's assistant. According to Shizune, there were no available missions for Naruto to do. Not even missions that concerned chasing cats or pulling weeds, which Naruto never felt happier to do than this moment. He was ready to do anything that could keep him busy. Just anything that didn't make him think about Sasuke and Sakura's breakup.

"Why am I even taking this so seriously?" Naruto whispered to himself, descending down the stairs. "They're my best friends and all, but..." _why do I feel they aren't just breaking up?_

"No luck with missions?" Naruto looked up, finding Kakashi at the bottom floor.

"Not even D-ranked ones."

"I don't think it's good for you to leave the village, especially with our little Team Seven crisis," Kakashi mused too playfully. Irked, Naruto glared at him.

"I'm perfectly okay with Sasuke and Sakura-chan breaking up. There's nothing better than seeing those two pretend to live happily ever after," Naruto muttered bitterly, brushing past Kakashi.

"I mean that you need to stay for _them_." At Kakashi's stern voice, Naruto paused.

"You and I both know that Sasuke and Sakura are not having healthy reactions to their breakup. As independent as those two are, they will eventually seek a friend to release all their emotions to. I cannot guarantee that Sakura will talk to you over Ino, but Sasuke will indefinitely need you."

Naruto snorted. Yeah, Sasuke and Sakura needed him. They needed Naruto as an excuse to fight over something that didn't concern their breakup. As if that itself didn't raise red flags about their terrible breakup.

He would have walked away from Kakashi, avoiding the conversation overall, if he hadn't heard a familiar name spoken down the hallway.

"Sasuke, you are not in the position to demand such things from us." It was the voice of an old man: Homura.

"No one else in the village has to deal with this. Why should I?"

Naruto's eyes widened; he could recognize his best friend's deep voice anywhere.

"Sasuke's still meeting with the Council?" Naruto was puzzled; it had been nearly four years since Sasuke returned. What business did they have with Sasuke anymore? He inched closer to the closed room, glancing back at Kakashi, who nodded.

"Yes, the Elders continue to have check-ups with him. Sasuke had once declared he would kill them, so they are taking extra precautions," Kakashi explained. "They're less frequent nowadays. They usually interrogate Sasuke on huge spendings."

"Do they think he's buying mass-destruction weapons? Is why they keep watch on his bank account?"

Kakashi shrugged. "It's always furniture, but Sasuke is a very private person; he's not going to boast about what he spends."

Naruto could empathize, especially when it concerned Sasuke. The young Uchiha was not someone who enjoyed people entwining with his private business.

"According your bank statements, you wrote out a check two months ago to Kagawa's, the Land of Iron's top blacksmith," Naruto heard Koharu speaking.

"For the last time, I was getting my sword fixed."

"But not in Konoha? Let alone Fire Country?" Homura asked with suspicion.

"That is impossible as long as the Council continues to brand me as a traitor," Sasuke scowled. Naruto didn't think this was faring well. And Sasuke was not someone who would back down.

"Uchiha Sasuke, it would be wise to watch your tongue..." Koharu warned him. "...if you wish to advance your clan's standing."

Three seconds later, Naruto jumped when the door slam open, followed by Sasuke stomping away. Naruto imagined that Sasuke would have stood up abruptly, sent a murderous glare to the two councilmen, and then exited the room. It was really hard for Sasuke to control his temper, and the Council didn't make it any easier for him.

Gulping nervously, Naruto followed his friend. He wasn't sure what to do or say, but Sasuke couldn't be left alone. A pissed-off Sasuke was a terrible thing to face, but Naruto knew it was the right thing to do. Sakura wasn't there for Sasuke anymore; Naruto was his last resort.

"O-Oi, teme!" He didn't understand how Sasuke could walk at such a brisk pace as Naruto already felt like he was jogging.

"Go away, Naruto," Sasuke didn't even bother to stop.

"What happened? And how come you never mentioned these Council meetings?" Naruto asked.

"None of your business."

"Hey, you can trust me. I won't-"

"It's nothing."

"But Sas-"

"Quit it, Naruto! I've had enough of you meddling with my life!" Sasuke snapped back, turning around to face Naruto. His onyx eyes seem to darken when it was already impossible, filled with irritation and anger. "Stop bothering me! No one made you my babysitter! Why can't you just leave me alone?"

Naruto didn't realize he had grabbed for Sasuke's shirt collar until he felt his grip tighten around.

"I can't leave you alone because I'm worried for you! You haven't been yourself since you and Sakura broke up! I know you are doing everything you can to prove that breaking up was easy! I know you aren't mad at the council! And I know you're not mad at me either! This is your sick way of trying to move on, and it is not working, Sasuke!"

"I'm over that breakup," Sasuke gritted through his teeth. "That has nothing to-"

"Stop lying to yourself! You guys are not fine! This is not how you and Sakura are supposed to act! This is not how two people act after a mutual breakup-"

"Who said anything about it being mutual?" Sasuke whispered bitterly. It was so low that Naruto had to stop shouting. He thought it was only his imagination, but then Sasuke continued. "How could our breakup be mutual when Sakura gave up first?"

Naruto's eyes widened. Taking advantage of Naruto's shock, Sasuke stepped stepped back from his friend's hold.

It wasn't mutual? What did Sasuke mean by Sakura giving up first? Aside from the obvious, but Naruto refused to believe such a thing...

"W-What are you talking about, Sasuke?" _Sakura-chan would never do that_, he added mentally.

If Naruto ever had to wonder when either Sasuke or Sakura would crack, he didn't anymore; it came at that second.

"She was the one who didn't want me to stay the same! She wanted me to change so I could fit her stupid, perfect dream boyfriend! She was the one who kept annoying me about the massacre when all I wanted to do was for her to shut up about it! She was the one who couldn't accept that if I don't want to talk to her, I won't! She was the one who tried to control every aspect of my life! She was the one who got mad at every little thing I did wrong! She was the one who gave me no heads up when she ended it! And she was the one who walked out of our relationship and fuckin' left me! So if anybody's at fault, go find Sakura!"

The only sound in the hallway was the loud pants escaping from Sasuke. Naruto had never heard his best friend scream louder than today, not even during the Fourth Great Shinobi War. Sasuke looked weary, Naruto noted, not even relief from releasing all his emotions. Sasuke's face contorted uncomfortably, as if trying to ease an undying pain. Naruto wasn't sure which emotion was more powerful across Sasuke's face; anger...or hurt.

"I don't get it, Sasuke..." Naruto gulped, feeling his throat dry up. "...S-Sakura-chan l-loves you..."

Naruto didn't like the harsh chuckle coming from Sasuke.

"You would think she did," Sasuke spoke lowly, turning his back to Naruto. "After promising to do anything for me, to always be there for me. But no..."

Furiously, Sasuke punched the wall next to him. Naruto didn't even flinch, but oh how he wished he could see Sasuke's expression.

"She's just a lying bitch."

* * *

Naruto threw another kunai at the target. He didn't bother to aim for the center. He wanted a distraction, but he still wasn't successful with that. One more thing to add to his collections of failures.

Bitch. Never once had Naruto ever heard Sasuke call Sakura a "bitch." It was a derogative name for women, something even Sasuke admitted to saying once. No woman deserved to be called that. Funny how the first woman he directed that word to was the one girl Sasuke love. A girl he would have defended to the end of the world.

_In the Sunset Village, there had been a disease breakout. Team Seven was one of the many that Konoha had sent for containment, Sakura being the head of the project. Fortunately, Sakura had detected the bacteria strain from a water source and for two weeks, the shinobi worked 24/7 to clean the water, particle by particle._

_But that was only the first step; it had taken much longer for Sakura and the medic-nin to create an antidote. With most of them already affected, some of the villagers could not wait another second; they only wanted now._

_"When is the cure coming? Why can't we have it now?" Naruto recalled a man in his late 20's complaining a young nurse. From the corner of his eyes, he saw Sasuke and Tenten run into the lobby and grab the wheelchairs._

_"I-I'm sorry sir, but we are still trying to determine the effects of our prototype," the nurse replied nervously. Naruto felt bad for her; she was a chunin who had just finished her medical training. This was her first mission. Patients were coming in and out at a rapid rate that she would be more than happy to help. Yet here she was, stuck with an unruly man lashing out on her when she didn't deserve it._

_"While you stupid ninja are playing lab, my brother is dying! Who's in charge here? I want to see who the fuck is heading this whack job!" The man screamed louder, scaring the girl. Naruto heard the wheelchairs crash into the wall, followed by Tenten yelling at Sasuke to be more careful._

_"Haruno Sakura, the Hokage's apprentice, is the head b-but she says that the antidote is still in the early stages. It'll take at least three more w-weeks to see how it develo-"_

_"The Hokage's apprentice? **That's** the best that Konoha can offer? If that bitch got the best, why the fuck is she taking so long? What, she doesn't care about our village enough to hurry the fuck up? Does she need a good lay to spee-" The man gasped when he felt a strong hand grip his neck, slamming him into the wall._

_"Don't you dare..." Speaking lowly, Sasuke activated his sharingan. The man coughed when Sasuke tightened his grip. "...talk about Sakura like that."_

_"Forget that loser, Sasuke! Ino needs these wheelchairs upstairs now!" Tenten yelled at him, but Sasuke ignored._

_"'She doesn't care?'" Sasuke repeated the man's word. "Sakura hasn't slept in three days! She's barely had a snack for the last week! I haven't seen her outside the lab since the day one! And I know when we go home that for every person she loses on this mission, Sakura will lose hours of sleep because she will cry the entire night and I can't do anything about that! Don't you fuckin' dare say Haruno Sakura does not care because she cares more than anybody else could!"_

_Sasuke probably would have said more if Naruto and Tenten hadn't pulled him away. He had defended her so openly, so angrily that Sasuke didn't even need to tell that idiot who Sakura's boyfriend was. It was new for Sasuke, a man who trained himself to restrain his emotions regardless of the occasion._

It was hard for Naruto, remembering what Sasuke and Sakura were...and then seeing them now.

Sakura left Sasuke. She walked out on him. It was never mutual at all. Now that Naruto thought about it, the idea of a mutual breakup mainly came from Sakura. All Sasuke did was shove his stupid hands in his stupid pockets and ignore the problem. That must have been Sasuke's pride talking there. But was Sakura really the one responsible for their fallout?

"There you are, Naruto!" How funny it was for Sakura to find him at this instant.

As always, Sakura was smiling. But this one, no matter how many fake ones she had in the last few weeks, made Naruto feel queasy. There was something much more off about her smile today. How could a girl who could smile so cheerfully be also the same one responsible for Sasuke's heartbreak?

"Hey, Sakura-chan," Naruto greeted. He noticed she was carrying a backpack. "You have a mission?"

"Yeah, just for three days," Sakura replied. "Look, I didn't want to leave on bad terms with you, Naruto, so I want to say that I'm sorry for the way I treated you last week. It was unfair and you shouldn't have been involved. I won't do that again."

"Don't worry, I forgive you," Naruto said quickly. He could tell that he didn't convince Sakura enough. She raised an eyebrow, crossing her arms against her chest.

"What's with you today, Naruto? Did I do something wrong?"

"Have you seen Sasuke yet?"

Her eyes widened for a brief moment. There it was, and Naruto caught it. So she was oblivious to his pain, or maybe she knew, but could care less about it. Sakura did walk out on Sasuke, and Naruto could never understand that.

But Sakura recovered quickly, brushing it off with a smile. "It's only a short mission, Naruto. I'll be back before Sasuke knows it."

"He's our teammate. He deserves to know whenever you leave the village."

"Well, he never cared about whether I had a mission or not in the first place, so I doubt that's changed. Besides, I don't care what he thinks."

"Che, no wonder Sasuke called you a 'bitch,'" Naruto muttered under his breath, hoping that Sakura didn't hear. Unfortunately, she did, for her entire body froze. Fiercely, she glared at Naruto.

"What did you say?"

Big mistake on his part. He regretted going that far so early. Naruto wanted to slap himself. "Sakura-chan, don't take it-"

"I'm sorry, allow me to correct," Sakura interrupted. "What did _Sasuke_ say?"

"Give Sasuke a break! You're the one who kept telling people that the breakup was mutual, when really you left him without a single warning!" Naruto yelled.

"A warning? For _Sasuke_?" Sakura scoffed in disbelief. "Why should I when never got one from him? Why didn't I get a warning that said 'Sakura, our relationship will go nowhere so I don't care anymore?'"

"But Sasuke said-" And for the second time of that day, Naruto saw his other best friend crack too. And it was no better than the first.

"What? You think it's wasn't mutual because Sasuke said so? You think everything Sasuke says is right? Did that asshole tell you he was the one who stopped trying in the first place?" Sakura was screaming now, the same painful and angry way that Sasuke screamed just an hour ago.

"Did he tell you that he valued getting physical over having a conversation? Did he tell you that I could never tell him my problems without Sasuke calling them weak, immature, or stupid? Did he tell you how he never said 'I love you' once? Did he tell you the secrets he never told me? The secrets that angered him so much, yet he didn't think I was worthy enough to know about? Did he tell you that he stopped treating me like a girlfriend but a teammate he could kiss and fuck whenever he wanted? Did he tell you that, Naruto?"

Just like that, Naruto felt himself return back to square one. As wrong as it was, Naruto had assumed Sakura was the bad guy in the relationship. He couldn't help thinking that way after seeing how hurt Sasuke was. But Naruto forgot that Sakura was hurting too, and it wasn't fair for him to take Sasuke's side without hearing hers.

Naruto never considered Sasuke innocent of faults during the breakup, but for him to stop trying at all? To stop treasuring her like he promised? Sasuke never mentioned that, another pride factor probably. How could Sasuke not treat her special? Naruto had seen Sasuke look so comfortable with Sakura, hugging her, kissing her, all those small moments that Naruto worked so hard to sneak up on them. When did those moments stop? When did their relationship hit its climax?

"I-I'm sorry, Sakura-chan. I didn't know," Naruto whispered. He was about to grab her into a comforting hug, ready to tell her that it was okay for her to cry, but Sakura side-stepped him. Naruto thought she was trying so hard not to let the tears fall, let alone be made today.

"I know he's been through a lot, Naruto, but that's not an excuse for Sasuke to be distant. I can't wait forever for him to open up; I'm not like that. I can't be the woman Sasuke needs."

He watched Sakura breath heavily, gripping the hem of her skirt so that it wrinkled. Her eyes were not glossy from the tears that Naruto thought had appeared, but fiery. Sometimes, Naruto forgot that Sakura was no longer the twelve-year-old genin that needed his and Sasuke's protection; she was a grown, independent woman. That itself was a sad realization, because it meant she had also grown to control her emotions more than Naruto would have liked her too.

"I may have ended the relationship first..." Sakura spoke again, her voice barely above a hesitant whisper. "...but he was never against it. He would have said or done something if he wanted me to stay. I knew Sasuke didn't care because..."

Sakura inhaled deeply, but Naruto thought it was her way of swallowing her tears. Biting down her lip, she frowned.

"...he never went after me. He just stood there, letting us go."

And Naruto finally understood why he tried so hard to repair their relationship. Sasuke and Sakura would never talk to each other again. They would never see each other unless by Naruto's insistence. They would never embrace or kiss or laugh with each other. They hated each other, impossible to be friends again. They weren't going back to being teammates again, but strangers.

To Naruto, that was something he would not be able to handle. He would not be able to deal with his two best friends being strangers. Because that would mean Team Seven would have to start all over again. They already had to do that with Sasuke's return, and that was a ride that Naruto didn't believe he could go through again. And so, his biggest fear had come true:

Team Seven, along with Sasuke and Sakura's relationship, had fallen apart.

* * *

And there goes another chappie, peeps! And yes I did make it intense ohohoho! I will do my best to keep updating! I have over a month until school official starts! But seriously, if you're in college, please please please help me out with dorm list! I am so scattered brain! And a laptop. It's stressing me out. By the way, if you just read Naruto chapter 597, did you get mind-fucked like I did?

Playlist:

"Unbreakable Spirit" Crystal Kay

"Can't Be Friends" Trey Songz

"I Love You for Sentimental Reasons" Linda Ronstadt

"Scratching Me Up" Trey Songz

"Drank in My Cup" Kirko Bangz

"Super Rich Kids" Frank Ocean

"Oh My Love" Chris Brown

"Heaven" Jamie Foxx

"Climax" Usher

"Hourglass" Mindy Gledhill

"Take Off" Jeremih

"Happy Days Are Here Again" Barbra Streisand

8/12/2012


	5. Stage 5: Real Acceptance

**AN:** Hey guys, long time no see! Again, I apologize for the long update! I was busy managing some last bits before college starts, which is less than a month! I also got my first laptop which I love so much! I got it off newegg which has some awesome deals! They do it flash style, so check it daily! Also, I'm starting to panick on how I'm going to decorate my dorm too ugh. Too much to do.

Anyway, this is the second-last chapter. Yes, this was meant to be a shorter story. I'm hoping to finish this before school starts, so fingers crossed! This chapter is longer than the usual one for this story, but it was necessary. Plus, you guys seem to like the longer chapters, which makes me happy!

Enough of my rambling! If you wanna talk to me, just PM or find me on tumblr, which is pretty much just my penname Nakoujou! And oh god, chapter 599 KILLED me!

But yeah, enjoy! Love you guys! Thank you for all the support for "Letting Us Go!" It was a nice experiment for me and I'm so glad of the positive responses! By the way, I read the reviews and you guys seem to have trouble on siding with either Sasuke or Sakura. I think it's leaning toward Sakura, but for those who are confused, there's always Naruto! I know I'm doing the right thing with my story if I make people go "Poor Naruto!" in the reviews. SUCCESS!

Okay, I need to shut up.

* * *

Stage 5: Real Acceptance

"Is it just me or..." Choji put down his bag of chips, glancing at all his friends. "...have we not done nothing except debate about Sasuke and Sakura's breakup the entire month?"

Kiba opened his mouth, hoping to argue back, but stopped short. He grunted, nodding in agreement, followed by everybody else. Choji was right; for the last month, they had no lives.

"Now that you mentioned it, I have been training less because of our meetings," Lee added.

"Nothing interesting in the world either," Tenten sighed, flipping through the newspapers. " 'Fire Country's Prince Plays Soccer With Poverished Youth,' 'New Species of Monkeys Discovered in Kaiba Forest,' 'World-Renowned Blacksmith Kagawa Mako Sells Heart of Destiny Diamond For Over 15 Million Yen,' 'The Steam Engine Revolutionizes Traveling in the Shinobi Era-'"

"Tenten, why do you have a newspaper from March? That was over two months ago," Naruto asked, peering over Tenten's shoulder.

"I just took the first thing to be my fan. God, the summer is killing me!" Tenten flung the newspaper to the side. "Where did all the excitement go?"

"It's been so boring after the war," Kiba groaned. "Peaceful, but boring."

"It is a sad day when ten jonin have nothing to do but gossip about two people's relationship," Shikamaru noted as he lay on the grass, staring at the clouds.

Naruto couldn't help but reluctantly agree. He couldn't remember when exactly did Sasuke and Sakura's breakup consumed his life during the month. He just knew that as much as he wanted to leave those two alone, especially after their simultaneous outbursts, Naruto just couldn't. Something was off about their breakup, but he couldn't pinpoint what exactly.

_They were happy before I left for that mission...right?_ Naruto wondered. Yet, their outburst told him differently. That their relationship wasn't as great as they portrayed themselves. That maybe Naruto could possibly be imagining things from the start.

He ended his thoughts when Naruto felt somebody tap him on the shoulder. Glancing behind him, Naruto raised an eyebrow when he saw Kakashi's face come to view.

"Eh? Kakashi-sensei?"

"Do you have a moment, Naruto? Actually..." There was something off about Kakashi's tone. It wasn't the usual bored, relaxed voice Naruto often heard from his teacher. In fact, Kakashi sounded quite serious today. "...it might take a while."

"Sure. What happened?" Naruto asked, standing up. The two already started walking away from the Konoha 12, who were currently debating on whether to have a water balloon fight or a race around the village.

"It's Sakura. She came back from her mission just now, but..." Kakashi's face fell. From that look, Naruto knew that he was not going to hear good news.

* * *

BAM! BAM! BAM!

"Sakura-chan, open up!" Naruto yelled at the door. Probably ten minutes had passed since Naruto arrived at Sakura's apartment, led inside by a worried Ino, and knocked on her locked door furiously. According to Ino, Sakura had returned to the village looking distraught and before her best friend could ask, Sakura had madly dashed back to her home, locking herself inside. Ino had then sought out Kakashi for help and when he failed, went to Naruto, hence their situation.

"Sakura-chan, don't be immature! Open up!"

"I'm fine, Naruto, just leave me alone!"

"Oh yeah, because it's perfectly normal for people to hide in their own room!" Naruto rolled his eyes.

"Mou, Sakura, can't you see we're all worried?" Ino shouted. "You can't seriously be fine!"

"For the last time, there's nothing wrong!" Even through the door Naruto could hear Sakura's shaky voice.

"Oi, what was her mission?" Naruto asked.

"I believe she went to heal one of Fire Country's general, but something must have happened on the way back," Kakashi explained.

"Nothing happened! Just go away before I make you!" Sakura screamed.

"Please come out, Sakura! This isn't healthy, especially after you and Sasuke!" Ino cried.

This was not going well. Naruto was almost at the point where he wanted to break down Sakura's door, but that would mean having to buy her a new one. So he settled for punching it, cursing loudly. He tried to remember all the times in the past where Sakura had been reluctant to talk to them about anything. What he needed right now was for a certain Uchiha to sneak in through Sakura's window-an idea lit up in Naruto's head, but it wasn't the greatest. Either way, there was no choice.

"Fine! You can stay in there, Sakura-chan while I go find teme and have him tear down your door! You're already pissed at him, so why not just give you another reason-" Naruto did not smirk or grin in victory when Sakura finally opened her door, glaring at him with fierce, but hurt green eyes.

"Oh you try that, Naruto! Because Sasuke won't and has never cared, okay?"

Naruto wasn't sure if Sakura was joking or not. He scoffed.

"Kakashi-sensei, Ino, can I talk to Sakura-chan alone? It has something to do with Sasuke," Naruto frowned when Sakura's eyes narrowed at the mention of Sasuke's name.

They nodded. Holding the front door for Ino to leave, Kakashi paused, glancing back at his student.

"Be gentle, Naruto," Kakashi advised. "I understand that this affects you just as much as Sasuke and Sakura, but try to empathize with them. They are reacting to something they never expected to happen, and that already says so much about how they feel about each other."

He was glad that Kakashi and Ino left the apartment quickly because Naruto was unable to hold up everything he had wanted to say to Sakura since the minute he found out about the breakup.

"Do you not hear yourself, Sakura-chan? How can you say Sasuke never cared! He cared so much for you! Why else would he be so pissed off about the breakup? Don't say it's because he wanted to end it first because he never wanted to in the first place!" Naruto watched as Sakura wrapped herself, shoulders hunched, eyes downcast to the floor. "He wants to be with you for the rest of his life! Now he's angry at you because you left him, Sakura-cha-"

"You think I don't know that, Naruto?"

"Then why do you keep saying he never cared-"

"Because it hurts less thinking that way than to accept that Sasuke-kun really did care!"

Startled, Naruto stopped shouting. Though he knew both Sasuke and Sakura were at fault in their relationship, he had readily deemed Sasuke's inability to be affectionate with Sakura as one of the causes. That came as no surprise to Naruto, but now he was hearing the opposite? Did Sasuke actually treat her better than Naruto thought?

"Do you know how hard it's been for me to wake up every morning, knowing that I can't have him back?" Her voice grew feeble. She was shaking, clutching herself tighter. Moving to the side, Naruto could see her eyes glistening with new tears. She released a quiet whimper, her eyes shut tight, probably trying her hardest not to cry.

But Sakura had already tried enough, tried too many times, that it would make sense she would come to the point where it was too much for her. Naruto's eyes widened when Sakura fell into his chest, gripping his shirt.

"A group of missing-nin attacked and..." Sakura forced back a hiccup. "...tried to take advantage of me..."

"Oh god, S-Sakura-chan..." Naruto embraced her back as she continued to cry. "D-Did t-they..."

Sakura shook her head. "N-No, I escaped b-but that whole time, all I could think about w-was...f-for Sasuke-k-kun to come and save me but w-when he didn't, I-I..." She cried even harder. "…I had to do everything by myself, Naruto.

"Sasuke-kun wasn't there anymore to protect me, to save me...he won't ever be. And I miss that feeling. I keep thinking that he never cared, but he really did in his own way. I used to get so angry whenever he did that since it made me feel weak, but now I miss how he made me feel safe. How he would hold me at night whenever I lost a patient. How he'd always wait for the end of my shift to walk me home when it got late. How he would listen to my day no matter how terrible it was. How even though he can only make rice balls and runny eggs, he still made them for me every Sunday. Those small moments…I miss all of that so much, Naruto, but now..."

Her voice was breaking, to the point that Naruto was tempted to start crying alongside. Watching Sakura fall apart, after weeks of staying strong about the breakup, was something Naruto never wanted to see. But here he was, holding her as she broke down in tears, nearly inconsolable.

"I can't get it back, not after what I've done. I should have been more patient with him, seeing what he's been through. I should have given him more space, not tell him how to react to things. I should have understood that Sasuke's a quiet guy who likes to keep secrets, that I shouldn't beg for him to tell me right away. I should have waited for him to come to me about his secrets, not poach him about them. I should have known that by the way he holds and kisses me that he cares about me. Looking back, I didn't need him to tell me 'I love you' because he never had to, Naruto. That's not Sasuke, and I shouldn't have made a big deal about that. I shouldn't have asked too much from him. I wish I never left, but really...I wanted to go back to him the moment I walked out."

* * *

It felt like his feet was floating over the cement road. That's how fast Naruto was running. The moment Ino and Kakashi returned inside, asking about Sakura's crying, Naruto had dashed out of her apartment. It hit him hard hearing Sakura plead to be back with Sasuke, and that was what he planned to do: find Sasuke and tell him everything that Sakura said. That Sakura understood him now, that she was so sorry, that-

His steps faltered. That voice of renewed hope drowning inside his head, Naruto could barely hear it. Instead, a new thought disturbed him, something that he hadn't expected to come at this moment.

_Don't let them get back_, that voice said. _You know exactly why they shouldn't…_

He hated to admit it, but his mind was slowly agreeing with this new voice. He didn't want to, but for some reason, he was forced to believe that.

"Naruto-kun?" He turned his head to the person who called him: Hinata. Naruto smiled inside; he didn't realize how much he wanted to hear that voice of hers until now. As worried as she sounded, there a tranquility to Hinata's voice that Naruto found great comfort in.

She approached him quickly, gently grabbing his shoulder. For Hinata, that was considered a bold move. "What happened? Why are you crying?"

Funny, Naruto didn't realize how moist his eyes were until Hinata mentioned it.

"W-W-What are you talking about, H-Hinata-chan? Everything's f-fine," he sniffed. He wiped the tears with the back of his hand, but it didn't stop more from streaking down.

"But you can't be fine, not like this," She pressed on, biting her lips. Hesitantly, she cupped his right cheek in her soft hand, moving it so that Naruto was looking deep into her pearlescent eyes. A-Ano, is this about Sasuke and Sakura?"

And hearing the names of his two heartbroken, best friends, Naruto just lost it. He fell down to his knees, wrapping his arms around Hinata's waist. He held on to her like a crutch, to keep him from breaking down completely, but he wasn't as successful as he thought. Naruto didn't care if people were around to see; he started to cry.

"H-H-Hinata-chan, I want t-them to be happy, to be t-together again, b-but…"

_They had finished another Team Seven dinner, ready to return to their respective homes. It had been a fancy dinner, one where Sasuke and Naruto wore dark suits; Sakura, her flowy red dress. Naruto left that restaurant with a huge smile across his face, rubbing his temporary, large stomach like a baby._

_"Phew, that was some good stuff! I don't know why we don't do this a lot!" Naruto exclaimed._

_"Hn," Sasuke crossed his arms. "You can start with avoiding Ichiraku's everyday."_

_"HOW DARE YOU SAY SUCH SINFUL WORDS, TEME?"_

_Sakura laughed lightly. "Well, I'll be going back now. Goodnight, guys."_

_Naruto raised an eyebrow. She usually waited for Sasuke to join her because she knew he would walk her home. Everyday. All the time. And Sasuke knew that too because just as he was about to grab Sakura's hand into his, she sped up her pace. His fingers barely grazed hers when Sakura started walking away quickly. Naruto saw the way Sasuke's face tensed, how his eyes narrowed almost in defeat. Naruto guessed it was just one of Sakura's moods. She was working more hours at the hospital lately..._

"H-Hinata-chan...I-I should have known this would h-happen..."

_On a mission, in the middle of the forest. Naruto woke up in the dark hours of morning, hoping to find food inside his tent after his stomach growled. When he found none, Naruto stepped outside of his warm tent. He was surprised to find not only a fire lit up, but Sasuke sitting against a tree trunk, eyes wide alert, hand attached to his sword's hilt._

_"Oi, teme. What are you doing up so late?" Naruto yawned, his eyesight growing blurry. He could hear Sakura shuffling in the tent next to his. "Shouldn't you be inside with Sakura-chan?"_

_"I'm keeping watch, dobe," Sasuke answered too quickly. He sounded more irritated than usual. Naruto thought it was because Sasuke desired sleep. Then again, it didn't explain why Sasuke's sleeping bag was outside as well. Naruto convinced himself that Sasuke just needed to be warm..._

"There had been s-signs…and…" Naruto choked.

_For the third time that week, Naruto was begging for companionship on his daily trip to Ichiraku's. His latest victim was, again, Haruno Sakura. While Sakura was writing reports in her office, Naruto had barged in, pleading that they go for ramen that evening._

_"Please please please, Sakura-chan? I hate eating by myself! Teme's on a mission for the week, and I don't have any-"_

_"Sasuke-kun went on a mission?" Sakura asked. She sounded honestly shocked._

_"Erm, yeah. Didn't he tell you?" But Sakura didn't respond. Instead, she stayed silent, continuing her work. Naruto couldn't help but watch her smile fall into nothing but a line curved slightly upward, as if trying her hardest to keep everything in. Maybe Sasuke left a note in Sakura's room and she hadn't seen it. Yeah, that could be it..._

"I-I-I ignored them...I told myself those moments weren't i-important, Hinata-chan...when r-really..."

_They had been ambushed earlier. It was only a few rogue ninjas that they defeated easily. When one attempted to strike behind Sakura's back, however, Sasuke jumped in the last minute and suffered a deep gash on his shoulder. They made camp as Sakura quickly started healing Sasuke in their tent. Usually, their healing sessions were quiet, albeit a few words exchanged before they started making out, Naruto always mused to himself. But today, it was different. Today, they were talking more, or, if Naruto didn't want to deceive himself...bickering?_

_"If you hadn't overused your chakra, this wouldn't have happened in the first place," Sakura chided him. "God, they were only a few ninjas! You don't have to be so reckless, Sasuke-kun!"_

_"Well sorry for covering your ass," Sasuke said sarcastically._

_"I never asked for your help."_

_"I don't need to ask your permission for anything, Sakura."_

_"Well you still shouldn't have done it. I was perfectly fine!"_

_"No, you weren't! Not until I say so!"_

_"Sure, because you're always right and I'm never," Naruto could picture Sakura rolling her eyes. "Yes, thank you for reminding me of that."_

_"Sakura, I'm not in the mood. Stop being immature."_

_"Well, you're never in the mood to do what I want."_

_"I'm not talking to you about this."_

_"Oh that's new, since you never want to talk at all to me."_

_Underneath his blanket, Naruto curled into a ball, pulling up the covers to his mouth. He kept telling himself that Sakura was just mad because she felt weak whenever Sasuke protected her. Sasuke was just mad because Sakura could have been hurt. Otherwise, they wouldn't be arguing at all. It would only be short-lived before they apologized to each other. It was arguments like these that would strengthen their relationship, not cease it._

_But Naruto distinctively remember falling asleep before Sasuke and Sakura stopped yelling._

"They were growing apart...fighting a lot...I should have said something about it...I could have made them realize that this wasn't right..."

_He had only meant to tell Sakura that he was leaving on a three-week mission. He had entered through the window, seeing as it was wide open. He snuck in, expecting to meet Sakura in the living room, not pressed against the bed, half-naked, by a shirtless Sasuke. Or the fact that Sasuke's head was buried into her neck._

_"SERIOUSLY GUYS? IT IS MORNING! WHY WOULD YOU DO THIS TO ME?" Naruto nearly fell off the window sill, rubbing his eyes from the sight. He recovered quick enough to dodge a pillow that Sasuke threw._

_"Naruto, you idiot! What the hell are you doing?" Sasuke yelled, sitting up. He sounded more pissed than usual, and Naruto thought that Sasuke held that expression long before his interruption. Sakura pulled her blanket up to cover her, looking away in embarrassment._

_"What do you want Naruto?" She sounded bitter, but Naruto didn't think it was at him._

_"Um, I-I'll be gone for three weeks on a mission, so can we have Ichiraku's then? It's been too long!"_

_"Yeah, yeah we will," Sakura answered quickly, already buttoning up her pajama top._

_"Awww, are you guys going to miss me? Sasu-chan and Saku-chan trying to relieve that through morning sex?" Naruto teased them through a baby voice._

_"Hn," Sasuke laid his hands on the bed, one of them quickly gripping onto Sakura's. Her fingers didn't seem to entwine with his, only leaving their loosely for Sasuke to hold, not for her to hold back. It was morning, Naruto figured. Sakura must have done a lot more touching before Naruto interrupted their session._

"I-I l-lied to myself a lot, y-yet..." He clutched Hinata even tighter, digging his head into her chest.

_Another intimate training session between Sasuke and Sakura that Naruto was fortunate enough to stumble upon (he always knew how it ended and he found great thrill in annoying them about it). Sasuke ducked a few punches from Sakura, his sharingan only concentrating on her fists that he didn't catch her feet rising to kick him in the stomach. He landed on his back but before he could get up, Sakura had pinned him down, straddling Sasuke's legs in between hers. As she pressed a kunai against his neck, Sakura smirked victoriously._

_"I win today."_

_The grin on Sasuke's face did not agree with her statement. "Really?"_

_Naruto's jaw dropped when he saw Sasuke's hand trail the underside of Sakura's breasts, causing her to squeak. Less than a second later, Sasuke had pushed Sakura's kunai away and flipped them over, switching their positions. Sasuke was now on top while Sakura was underneath, fuming._

_"That's not fair, you jerk!" She was red from both embarrassment and anger._

_Sasuke chuckled lightly. How strange it was for Naruto to hear his best friend laugh so easily when it would take the average person over a week of stupid pranks to even get Sasuke mildly amused. For him to desire fun even during a spar when it was always a serious task for him._

_A hand ran through Sakura's pink hair, caressing it softly as Sasuke pressed his forehead against hers._

_"Maybe another time, Sakura." Then, he kissed her gently, as it should always be._

"I can't help but think about their happier times...huff...when everything was so right for them...huff...and wanting to take them back there...huff...that's where they should be..."

"N-N-Naruto-kun, you need to relax," said Hinata, worried. "You're breathing is off...p-please, Naruto..."

"I can't do anything about it, Hinata-chan, nothing's working..." Naruto could hear his heartbeat speeding up at an uneven pace, his throat tightening. His mouth felt dry, and he was taking heavier breaths than earlier. The tears welling around his eyes streamed down his tan cheeks like waterfalls, already moistening Hinata's sweater.

"I-I-It's hopeless...n-no matter what I do...they w-won't return to the way they we're-" He was no longer able to continue his thoughts, his eyes closing without his consent.

* * *

The bed underneath his body felt incredibly soft against his skin, but Naruto knew it wasn't his. He didn't use expensive satin sheets, and as his eyes opened to a mat floor and the view of a koi pond outside, he was certain that he was not in his house.

Sore across his body, Naruto sat up. He noticed that he wasn't on a bed, but a futon. Moaning, Naruto clutched his head, feeling it throb. How did he get knocked out?

"I'm sorry, Naruto-kun," he whipped his head up, watching Hinata enter the room. She held a teacup, handing it to Naruto. "I thought you were hyperventilating, and I-I wasn't sure what else to do, s-so-"

"It's alright, Hinata-chan. Better than me going berserk," Naruto replied, sipping the tea. He sighed in relief when his headache eased up. "Actually, I should be apologizing to you, having you deal with me like this."

Hinata shook her head. "Don't be. You're going through a tough time, and well, I'm not sure how else to help you."

Naruto smiled softly. "You help so much more than you think," it came out as a whisper.

"Eh?" Hinata blinked.

"Um, I mean, I-I really appreciate it! Actually, I have to go find Sasuke now!" Naruto stood up abruptly, putting on his sandals. "Er, I'll talk to you later, Hinata-chan! And thanks for taking care of me!"

He had left the Hyuga district faster than Hinata could utter a goodbye. It was only when he was at least twenty feet away from Hinata's house that Naruto wanted to create clones so he could rasengan himself in the head. Twice.

"Ack, you idiot! Why do you have to be so weird?" Naruto chastised himself.

He knew that he was acting awkward around Hinata, but the idea of taking initiative to her was out of the line, especially with the whole Sasuke and Sakura crisis. Maybe another day he would have a proper conversation with the Hyuga heiress that did not involve Naruto being an emotional wreck about his two best friends. Today was not that day; instead, Naruto had a personal mission to do. He need to find Sasuke, talk some sense into him, and hope for the best. Night had recently fallen, and Naruto doubted that Sasuke would be asleep by now.

When he reached Sasuke's blue apartment building, he hesitated to climb up the stairs. All he could think was how to talk to Sasuke about this. Wording the story was a delicate process, especially with Sasuke. Naruto couldn't just knock on his door and go "Hey, Sasuke, guess what? Sakura nearly got raped and now she wants you back. What do you say?" Life as not as easy as that. And though Sasuke was guarded his feelings well, when he got emotional, it was deep. How on earth was he-

WHACK! Naruto yelled when he felt a pile of straws hit him behind his head.

"Ow! What the hell…" he turned around, puzzled to see a tiny old woman wearing a grey kimono, a large broomstick on her hand.

"About time you got here, Uzumaki! Your buddy up there's been giving me nothing but trouble!"

It took a minute for Naruto to recognize her. "Ah, Nakoujou-obachan! Sasuke's landlady, right?"

"That's right, punk! You better fix him up fast!" The landlady screamed at Naruto, poking him repeatly with her broomstick. "I can hear that Uchiha brat trashing around his apartment! Does he know who owns that buildin?! Does he know who he pays the rent to? Does he know that I'm the only person that allows him to rent a place in Konoha? That ungrateful child!"

"Ahhh, sorry, obachan," Naruto apologized nervously. "But Sasuke just went through a bad breakup and well-"

"Stupid excuses! He needs to man up, grow a pair of balls, and stop making a ruckus every night! The whole building is telling me to kick him out so if he doesn't get his act straight, he's hitting the streets!"

"H-Hai, but what kind of ruckus are you talking about? Sasuke's a quiet guy."

"Quiet? Pah!" The landlady spat. "See all those bottles in the dumpster?"

Naruto glanced over to green dumpster by the building and gulped. There must have been at least two dozen sake bottles inside, a few of them broken in half. Some of them looked like they were shattered into pieces.

"Were those all from this month?"

"More like this _week_. You should have seen the load before the garbage man came. 'Could have given the Godaime herself a run for her money," the landlady snorted, returning to her late night sweeping. "Damn that child, no gratitude for the place he rents. Who cares about a silly girl when you're destroying my building? I should whip him, teach him a lesson..."

As the landlady continued ranting, Naruto escaped quickly, walking upstairs to Sasuke's floor. Now he was really unsure of how to approach this. Or what to expect.

He didn't have to knock; the door was already open. That was unlike of Sasuke, a man who did not prefer others intruding his private home. He felt the mess before he saw it.

Naruto knew that Sasuke was a man who liked to be neat and concise with everything. But the second he opened the door, Naruto nearly jumped when the overpowering scent of alcohol and booze filled his nostrils, covering it quickly in disgust. Glass cracked underneath his ninja sandals, which Naruto realized was a green sake bottle. Glancing around the living room, he was disappointed to see that they were much more. Bottles were scattered everywhere, there was even a pile near the coffee table. He grimaced when he saw the empty trash can save for a piece of paper; honestly, couldn't Sasuke at least aim?

He heard a bottle slammed on a counter. "Shut the fuckin' door."

Sasuke's tone was tiring and frustrated, but Naruto doubt he was that angry. He saw Sasuke leaning against a chair and, to no surprise, holding another sake bottle on the table. Naruto regretted never visiting Sasuke personally at his home; he could have prevented this.

"You're drunk, Sasuke. Get to bed," Naruto ordered, something he never did to Sasuke. He walked closer to Sasuke, about to snatch the bottle away from him when he noticed just how ruined his best friend was. Under the night, Sasuke was a sickly pale color, except for his redden cheeks from the alcohol. His dark circles only hinted at his lack of sleep from the past few days. Not to mention, Naruto debated stepping a feet back just so he wouldn't have to deal with Sasuke's stink; had he even showered?

"I'm fine, Naruto," Sasuke argued under his breath, taking another swoosh. "Just get out."

"No, there's something I need to tell-Damn, teme, don't down it all in one go!" Naruto yelled, but Sasuke ignored. When he finished the last drop, Sasuke threw it at the wall, the bottle crashing into pieces. Naruto was even more annoyed when there was a six-pack right under the table, which Sasuke easily took one out, opened the bottle, and started chugging all over again.

"God, Sasuke, you did not look this…depressing the last few weeks," Naruto cringed when Sasuke started coughing from the sake. "…Your landlady tells me you've been drinking every day, but you seem fine whenever we meet up. How the hell do you deal with hangovers?"

"I drink hella water in the morning, idiot," Sasuke was starting to slur. "Didn't Sakura tell you that?"

Naruto could feel how much it hurt for Sasuke to say her name like that. He forced out a small smile. "Yeah, she told us a lot on how to take care of ourselves."

The room grew eerily silent. Sasuke sat still, a hand resting around the sake bottle. His eyes were attentive to the chair across from him, as if expecting somebody to sit there. His eyes looked lost and lonely, his bangs falling over his cheeks. His grip around the bottle tightened, cursing underneath his breath.

"I'm sorry, Naruto..." It was the first time Sasuke sounded so weak, so helpless. "...for promising you that I would take care of Sakura."

After another drink, Sasuke slammed it back on his table again. A bitter smirk crept to his face. "I failed her. I told myself I would take care of her, but...I ended up being the one that needed her."

"Sasuke..." Naruto knew his friend. It took a lot of trust for Sasuke to reveal himself so openly in this vulnerable state. This state of a heartbroken soul, something that Sasuke would probably never show to anyone else in the world. Besides, it wasn't every day that Uchiha Sasuke spoke in paragraphs. Nor allow himself to be vulnerable to another person.

"When I have nightmares of my clan, I need her to wake me up and tell me everything's okay. But she wasn't there anymore. Not last night. Not last week. Not the whole month. I never told her how much I needed her for that. How much I needed her support while I was convincing the Council to fix Itachi's reputation, to return the Uchiha name back to its clan status. She never knew because I never told her. All she knew was my anger when the Council was being difficult.

"I was an idiot, Naruto," he whispered so softly. "I knew she was unhappy with us, yet I still kept those secrets to myself. She only wanted to help, she always does. She was too patient for me. She only wanted to take care of me, and I miss that. I should have told her everything. I shouldn't have lashed out, used her. It was never her fault. I should have treated her better. I should have told her how much she meant to me...that day...I should have stopped her, no...I..."

Sasuke lifted his head up, revealing how red and strained his eyes were from the alcohol. He looked broken, beyond repair no matter who came to his aid. He hitched a breath, but it sounded like a croak. Naruto wondered if he ever cried since the breakup.

"I should have ran after her."

"Then why didn't you?"

Sasuke smiled, but Naruto thought it was of bitter sadness.

"I can't bear to see her leave me again."

Naruto could only handle so much. He pulled the sake bottle out of Sasuke's hand. Without a protest from his friend, Naruto dragged Sasuke's arm over his shoulder, pulling up. Sasuke must have been extremely drunk, Naruto figured, because he barely moved.

"Alright, teme, it's about time you hit the sack," Naruto grumbled, not liking how heavy Sasuke was.

It had been a slow process, dragging Sasuke back to his bedroom, but Naruto did it within a few minutes. He dropped Sasuke on the bed, not even caring that he hit the pillow face first. The only sound from Sasuke was a soft groan. Naruto then threw the blue blanket over Sasuke's body messily, annoyed that he had to act like a mother.

"Now stay here, Sasuke, and don't move," said Naruto. "We can talk tomorrow."

He was about to return back to the living room and clean up the mess with Sasuke stopped him.

"She came home safely, right?" Naruto stiffened when he heard the fear in Sasuke's tone. And the foreign concern.

"Sakura was two days late from her mission," Sasuke continued, barely above a whisper. He never moved his head from the pillow. Naruto didn't even remember telling Sasuke about Sakura's mission. "Everything was okay? She didn't get hurt?"

The way that Sasuke curled up uncomfortably on his bed reminded Naruto of a child. Naruto wondered if as a child, Sasuke was unable to sleep unless something soothed him first. Maybe this time around, Sakura was the one to hold that job. But just watching his best friend clenching the pillow to dear life, panic running around his face, made Naruto hesitate to answer.

Though they looked tired, Sasuke's eyes were unusually glossy and, if Naruto dare say, lost. His eyes were fighting to stay wide open despite Sasuke's weary state. It appeared that for every second that Naruto didn't answer, Sasuke was growing fidgety, impatient with the silence. Was Sakura's well-being distressing him?

The image of Sakura crying flashed in Naruto's mind, her retelling the story of echoing louder and louder.

"Of course. She's our Sakura-chan. She always comes home safe and sound."

As hard as it was to see Sasuke in this state, Naruto knew that it would be even harder telling his friend the truth about Sakura's mission. He feared that it would send Sasuke spiraling downward to an even deeper depression, one that would fill his mind with unnecessary guilt and regret. It would have been too cruel for Sasuke to handle.

It made Naruto even sadder when he saw Sasuke's shoulders relax, his whole body falling into a comforting line. Sasuke released a sigh of relief, before closing his eyes.

"That's good." Naruto couldn't tell from the darkness if a content smile crept across Sasuke's face before said Uchiha fell asleep.

Crossing his arms, Naruto examined the mess in Sasuke's apartment. If this was any other person, Naruto would have demanded payment in the form of Ichiraku's. But not only was this Sasuke, this was a Sasuke who was a complete wreck, damaged unlike anything before him.

Naruto saw a small trash can next to the fridge, tiptoeing through the broken glass to reach it. Just as his hand grabbed the rim, Naruto saw a piece of paper, crumpled up in a ball. Usually, he would have ignored pointless observations as this, but Naruto couldn't help but read one word that sent his mind reeling with curiosity:

_Kagawa's._

The name was not unfamiliar to Naruto; the Council had interrogated Sasuke about that place.

_"According your bank statements, you wrote out a check two months ago to Kagawa's, the Land of Iron's top blacksmith."_

_"For the last time, I was getting my sword fixed."_

"Fixing his sword?" Naruto muttered to himself. Would Sasuke really take a trip across the continent just to repair his Kusunagi? Despite the Uchiha clan's huge wealth, Naruto didn't believe Sasuke would put himself through that much trouble.

Opening up the paper, Naruto pressed it against his chest. He patted over the paper, vigorously smoothing out the wrinkles. He noticed small boxes in columns. It was an order form. But next to each checkmark, Naruto found strange words that would tie with a weapon repair shop.

_Shape: Round_

_Color: Emerald Green_

_Size: 2.13_

And there were more check offs that absolutely no sense to Naruto. This definitely had nothing to do with fixing a sword. So Sasuke was lying about his business in the Land of Iron. But why? What was Sasuke making there that he couldn't get anywhere else? As he read further down, Naruto's skin went cold.

There, in the last box was the word "Carat." An image of Sakura in a white, sparkly dress flashed in Naruto's mind, and he feared that would never become reality.

Though he was dumb in many things, Naruto knew the connotations of that word. Yet at the same time, Naruto didn't want to believe that he was right. Because it meant a completely different story that he would have to uncover from Sasuke and Sakura. Before Naruto saw Sasuke's signature at the bottom, he noticed the number of the price. Naruto gawked: a lot of zeroes followed after. Just how did Sasuke amass so much wealth in between leaving and returning to Konohagakure? Naruto silently cursed the Uchiha clan for their old money status and Konoha for its strange banking system.

_"They usually interrogate Sasuke on huge spendings."_

Naruto's eyebrows tensed. "Are you hiding what I think you are?"

Land of Iron. Kagawa's. Carats. Large spendings. Diamond. Kagawa Mako. Naruto's eyes widened at the last though, Tenten's voice echoing through his mind.

_"'World Renowned Blacksmith Kagawa Mako Sells Heart of Destiny Diamond for Over 15 Million Yen-'"_

Naruto shuffled to the bottom of the people, scanning impatiently for the price. He counted the zeroes to make sure it was enough, and enough it was: 15,230,000 yen.

_Heart of Destiny Diamond...Over 15 Million Yen..._

Coincidence, Naruto wanted to believe. It was a coincidence that Land of Iron's most expensive diamond sold for a similar amount that Sasuke bought one prior to the breakup. Yeah, a coincidence, Naruto convinced himself. But that didn't stop him from running into Sasuke's room, opening every drawer and closet door and shelf and hidden compartment. Nothing went passed Naruto, yet he never saw a small velvet box or any that would hold a ring.

Next was the bathroom. He checked under the toilet, then the cabinets, the shower, but nothing. Darting back to Sasuke's bedroom, Naruto bent down under the bed, but only found old shoes and dust balls. He was lucky that Sasuke was passed out from a deep hangover, or he would have woken up to Naruto pulling the pillows up and down, but nothing came up.

He needed to find that darn diamond. There was only on explanation to why Sasuke bought that ring. But Naruto refused to believe that Sasuke had thought of such a serious move for his relationship until Naruto found it.

He was about to lift the dark blankets when Naruto's eyes gazed over Sasuke's sleeping form...and the strange shape in Sasuke's right pocket. Funny, it looked like a perfect square-

_No...Sasuke always likes keeping his hands in his pockets...don't overthink this..._but Naruto couldn't help but trace back to when he just came back from his mission, seeing Sasuke for the first time. How irritated and annoyed Sasuke was, his hands finding security in his pockets. And that action repeated itself far too often. Leaving the training grounds. Arriving at Ichiraku's and seeing Sakura at the same time. Leaving the ramen stand right after his argument with Sakura. Standing silently during Naruto's screams at the marketplace. Blaming Sakura for their failed relationship after the Council meeting.

And even if it tucked only one hand, it was always Sasuke's right.

Sasuke's even breathing assured Naruto of his sound, sleepy state. Carefully, Naruto's hand slid into Sasuke's pocket, the hairs on his neck standing up when he felt a velvet box. Naruto didn't realize he was holding in his breath until he removed the small box from Sasuke.

Indeed it was. Small, red, and velvet. Small enough for someone to hold in their palm as they got on one knee in front of a woman. Why was Naruto so scared to accept what was in his hands was real?

But gently, he opened the box and when he saw an emerald sparkle of a diamond, he wanted to choke on his tears. In his hands represented a future of happier days for his two best friends. It was something that should have been on Sakura's finger, not stuffed at the bottom of Sasuke's pockets.

_"I'll continue to support him. Now, it's just as his friend. Not his..." Sakura faltered, her eyes downcast to the white tiles of the floor._

_"If we were happy, we wouldn't have broken up," Sasuke muttered, rolling his eyes._

_"She was the one who gave me no heads up when she wanted to end it! And she was the one who walked out on our relationship and fuckin' left me! So if anybody's at fault, go find Sakura!"_

_"I may have ended the relationship first..." Sakura spoke again, her voice barely above a hesitant whisper. "...but he was never against it. He would have said or done something if he wanted me to stay. I knew Sasuke didn't care because..."_

_Sakura inhaled deeply, but Naruto thought it was her way of swallowing her tears. Biting down her lip, she frowned._

_"...he never went after me. He just stood there, letting us go."_

But that also meant another side to their breakup that Naruto was unaware of. And will have to dig up in the morning when Sasuke awoke. Once more, Naruto felt the tears forming around his eyes.

Because nesting inside the box, the Uchiha clan symbol engraved throughout the golden band, green as Sakura's eyes, was a diamond ring.

* * *

Whoo this was hard to write! Not sure if I got through the emotions, but darn it was hard. I've never written anything so angsty like this. I'm the happy person that's supposed to make people laugh! And what's worse? Only one more chapter left eek! Hopefully I can update before school starts. I'm so mad! UCSD assigned me a single room! I was really looking forward to the roommate experience, but the good part is that it's still suite style. I won't be completely alone. Okay, as a present before the finale, here's a preview!

Preview of Next Chapter:

_"Sasuke, you have some explaining to do," Naruto stated lowly, dragging the velvet case further from Sasuke's reach._

_"I can explain, Naruto-"_

_"No, I'll start. First of all..." There was a brief pause. It was exhausting to Naruto, yet he was beyond furious. His palm tightened into fists, and he had a strong desire to just punch the life out of Sasuke. Hell, he didn't even know where to start._

_"WHERE THE HELL DID YOU GET SO MUCH MONEY TO AFFORD A DIAMOND THAT ACTUALLY HAS A NAME? A NAME, TEME? ANYTIME SOMETHING HAS A NAME, IT IS SO OVERPRICED! HOW CAN THE UCHIHA CLAN BE THAT RICH? THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE! JUST BECAUSE YOUR CLAN DIED DOESN'T MEAN YOU GET EVERYBODY'S MONEY, YOU SPOILED BRAT! _

_"AND IF YOU'RE GONNA SPEND OVER 15 MILLION, AT LEAST COME BACK WITH IT THE SIZE OF A BOULDER! YOU GOT RIPPED OFF WITH THIS TINY-ASS ROCK! AND WHY THE HELL DID YOU BUY A RING BEFORE YOU AND SAKURA BROKE UP? WHY DO YOU HAVE TO MAKE MY LIFE SO COMPLICATED? WHY ARE YOU TWO SO CONFUSING? WHY DO YOU GUYS HAVE PERFECT TIMING AND REACT THE SAME WAY? WHAT DOES ALL OF THIS MEAN? WHY CAN'T YO GUYS FOLLOW SAI'S STUPID LOVE MODEL SO I'LL BE PREPARED FOR THE NEXT STAGE GAAAAHHHHH I GIVE UP! WHY WHY WHY DOES THIS KEEP HAPPENING? AND WHY DON'T YOU JUST MAKE UP AND KISS AND MARRY AND HAVE KIDS? STOP MAKING MY LIFE MISERABLE, YOU OTP-KILLER!"_

Just kidding, guys. This isn't the real thing. I haven't even started that. I just wanted to do those preview things that a lot of other authors do but I can never do because I write my chapters one at a time teehee. Obviously, I have a very strong desire to create a crack fic one day (Well, there's Amor, but that's another topic). And yes, I did insert myself as an old lady, mainly because I wanted to give her a name teehee. Now looms the biggest question. No, it's not "Will they or will they not get back together." It is: Am** I** a nice enough person to put Sasuke and Sakura back together? Consider my style and types of stories I've written in the past if you're a fan of me (ahhh, my narcissism returns).

Here's my playlist for this chapter:

"Space Bound" Eminem

"Pound the Alarm" Nicki Minaj

"Break Up" Mario ft. Gucci Mane and Sean Garrett (Har har, how convenient)

"Let's Get Loud" Jennifer Lopez

"Break the Chain" Lupe Fiasco

"Cinderella Man" Eminem

"Pink Matter" Frank Ocean

"White" Frank Ocean ft. John Mayer

"Hide and Seek" Imogeo Heap

"Missing Piece" David Choi

8/29/2012


	6. Stage 6: Healing

Greetings, my lovely readers! I have returned with the final chapter!

Thank you for all of those who waited patiently. For those who do not follow me on Tumblr or need a reminder, I just started freshman year for college and OMG IT'S BEEN CRAY-CRAY. Like I do in all my stories at the end, I write a letter to my readers about what's been happening in my life and why it makes me thankful to have fanfiction as an outlet. I don't have much to say since it's 4 in the morning right now but if you've been following this since its inception, thank you so much for all the support and kind reviews.

To the story!

* * *

Stage 6: Healing

"_Promises mean everything. But when broken, sorry means nothing."-Unknown_

When Naruto woke up in Sasuke's apartment, slouched against the wall, the first thing he noticed was not how his back ached from the uncomfortable position. Nor the velvet case that he still held onto.

Really, the first thing Naruto noticed that morning was how quickly Sasuke jumped off his bed to hurl in the toilet.

"That's what you get for downing all that sake, idiot," Naruto groaned, standing up to stretch.

Naruto filled a glass with water, and then walked to the bathroom, where Sasuke slouched against the wall. Sasuke was a terrible mess, his skin a sickening, pale color and eyes reddened by the alcohol. Sasuke mumbled a quiet 'hn' as he grabbed the glass from Naruto's hand and gulped it all in one go.

Sasuke dropped the glass on the marbled floor, breathing deeply. One of his hands reached into his right, and Naruto swore those dark eyes flashed open in panic.

Hoping to reassure Sasuke, Naruto showed the box to him. "Hey, hey, it's fine. See?"

"Give that back," Sasuke growled, immediately reaching forward. Naruto withdrew his hand farther.

"Explain."

"No."

"Suit yourself. Lee and I have this theory that overpriced rocks can survive the Rasengan and his gates-"

"Something was wrong with Sakura, okay?" Naruto heard a strange mix of bitterness and desperation in Sasuke's voice that didn't blend right. It sounded like Sasuke held a terrible grudge against Sakura for their breakup, but an even worse longing for her to return. "She didn't talk as much anymore. She wasn't smiling like she used to. I hated coming back from missions to her like that. She didn't tell me what was wrong with her, so I assumed I messed up _somehow_. During one mission in Earth Country, I found the best diamond they had and asked a blacksmith to carve it, got it? I didn't know what else to do and…"

Sasuke halted so suddenly that Naruto wasn't aware of how fast his friend was talking until then. As if Sasuke was talking to himself, trying to pinpoint what went wrong with their relationship.

"It was the easiest way to make Sakura happy."

If Naruto was being his immature self, he would have said "Well, _obviously_ it didn't. Who's the idiot now?"

_Easiest._ Naruto didn't like how Sasuke used that word. Especially when it concerned something as heavy as marriage.

"Does Sakura know about this?"

"Not in that sense," Sasuke replied grudgingly.

"What do you mean?" He was met with silence. Curse Sasuke for his broodiness.

"You know, Kiba developed this hurricane combo-"

Sasuke scowled. If it weren't for their dark situation, Naruto would have done a victory pose.

"Sakura and I fought before the breakup. I can't remember why. It was over something stupid, but we were having a so many stupid arguments that they just accumulate. She kept asking me to tell her things I didn't want to tell. I got so annoyed that I…I screamed if marrying her would shut her up."

That last sentence stung Naruto. He wasn't sure how to react to those words. He hated how Sasuke didn't take the proposal seriously. You propose because you want to spend the rest of your life with Sakura. You propose because you have truly reached your happiest and desire to keep it that way. You do not propose as a last resort to fix the impossible. Naruto wanted to scream all that to Sasuke's face. Make Sasuke feel so horrible for even thinking about marriage during this dark time.

He didn't say any of that. Slowly, Naruto handed the ring box back into Sasuke, whose fingers quickly wrapped around it, seeking its security. It was strange not saying anything to Sasuke. Maybe it was because Naruto felt so tired from all the shouting and yelling and lecturing that he had to do the last few weeks to Sasuke and Sakura. Maybe those two didn't need a reminder of what they let go. They needed something else.

Naruto walked away from the bathroom, pausing briefly before the front door. He wanted to ask a lot of things from Sasuke and Sakura. There were still many missing pieces that Naruto had yet to uncover. But then, he thought that those shouldn't matter anymore.

He heard enough. He said enough. He could help his best friend so much before Naruto had to throw the towel. He could tell Sasuke many things, what to do and what to say to take Sakura back.

But that was assuming Sasuke would be his regular, broody self. This was not the typical Sasuke that Naruto was used to. The Sasuke he saw last night and this morning was a train wreck. Any action he took would not end with the greatest result. And Naruto could not force Sasuke to act out of pain. Just wait until he started thinking straight again.

Yet, Naruto couldn't find it in himself to leave Sasuke without saying something.

"You're an idiot, Sasuke." He wasn't sure if he truly meant it at that moment. Still, Naruto had nothing else to say.

* * *

Naruto was happy to be given a two-week mission by Tsunade. It felt like decades passed since he had one. Again he would guard the Daimyo for the opening of some ceremony that apparently held great importance to Fire Country, but Naruto (as always) neglected the details.

"Oh, you're paired with Hinata too?" Sakura asked, her smile too gleeful. They were at clothing store with Sai, looking through the racks of track suits. Sakura had demanded Naruto to buy a new outfit because she was tired of stitching patches on a five-year-old track suit.

"Yep! It's going to be really fun! Last time, it was boring being all alone," Naruto replied. He pulled out an orange jacket, only to return it quickly to the rack upon seeing the weird floral patterns.

"Oh, it will, Naruto. Maybe sneak in some dancing while you're there?" Sakura pressed a jacket to Naruto's chest, observing every detail. She shook her head, and the jacket was back on the rack.

Naruto blushed. "Ah, I dunno. I would like to, but uh-"

"Is that how the courting process starts? By dancing?" Sai asked, again peering over his book.

"Can you not read those books, Sai?" Naruto sighed. "I'm all for you trying to discover your emotions and all, but please don't listen to that."

Sakura laughed, still going through the rack of numerous orange jackets. "Oh, I'm sure Naruto would like to do more than just dancing, hmmm?"

"Hey, at least I'll keep it clean, unlike when you and Sasuke get frisky on mis-" Naruto stopped immediately. Sakura's fingers lingered over the metal rack. Her lips quivered, as if she wanted to say something. But then, she pulled her best (still fake) smile at Naruto.

"Yeah, you'll be fine," she said.

Sakura must be doing everything in her power not to bring up Sasuke again, Naruto thought. He did just see her cry and plead to be back with Sasuke days ago. It startled Naruto how not only was Sakura acting the same way she was when he first found out about their breakup, but the fact that this time…it was for real.

"You know I'm always here for you, Sakura-chan, all of us are," said Naruto. "But Sasuke…he…"

Sakura sighed. "I still love him, Naruto. I always will. But right now, I want to be by myself more than I want to be with him. I'm just really…tired. Sasuke and I need this time apart. He always was the type that prefers to be alone, so I should let him be. "

_You have no idea_, Naruto scoffed inside his head.

Sakura glanced at her watch, gasping. "Oh shit! I forgot I had a double shift today! Naruto, please just buy something here! A jacket is never too expensive."

"Now you sound like Ino," Naruto scowled, but he knew Sakura was avoiding the topic. As always. But he allowed himself to let it slide, that Sakura needed time to think just as much as Sasuke did.

"No, that's just girl talk."

"Hinata-chan doesn't say stuff like that."

"Well, she's a unique girl, considering she's your type," Sakura teased.

Sighing, Naruto decided to drop talking about Sasuke. Like Sakura said, they needed this time apart. They had done a lot of talking, and going on would change little in the situation.

Fortunately, Naruto spotted an orange and white track jacket that appealed to him. After finding his size, he brought it to the cashier. As he took out his wallet, Naruto watched Sakura walk out of the store, as if she was a brand new woman without Sasuke. The white circle on the back of her shirt was now visible, no longer covered by Sasuke's palm whenever he walked her out of a store.

"Naruto," Sai tapped him on the shoulder. "Isn't that-?"

"Sasuke-kun?"

Cerulean eyes darted outside the shop, then widened.

Sasuke had just stopped walking on the road, blocked by Sakura's sudden exit of the shop. He lifted his head up, gazing. His façade of calmness never wavered. Both unwilling to make the first step to move the other. This was the first time in two weeks that Naruto saw those two together, or even near each other. To meet up like this, unaware of what to do, it must have been so-

"Awk-_waaaaard_!"

Naruto was a hundred percent certain that it was Kiba howling. He was even surer that Kiba instantly ran from the scene, realizing his terrible mistake of commenting on the love life of the last Uchiha and Tsunade's apprentice. Then again, everybody would agree with Kiba about this situation; he was just the only one dumb enough to scream it.

The thoughts that must be running through their heads. Especially after enduring such an emotional breakdown from both Sasuke and Sakura. If only those two could say the same words they did to Naruto.

"Oh my, I don't think I've read of this before. Another confrontation after the cycle ends?" Sai rapidly flipped through his book, eyebrows furrowing in confusion. "This does not make any sense. I was so certain that Sasuke and Sakura were successful the 'No Contact Rule,' yet this just proves the flaws of this theory. What is this phenom-"

Naruto yanked Sai's book out of his hands and threw it across the shop.

"Just. Watch. And. _Learn_." It relieved him so much to see that pathetic book lay ten feet away from Sai.

"I am, but I still cannot comprehend. Will they apologize? If so, who will do it first? Isn't the first step to reconciliation an apology from the one responsible for the breakup?"

Wide-eyed, she stared at Sasuke, whose expression was rigid, no sign of surprise. His black eyes did not stare, but looked beyond her, as if Sakura wasn't there at all.

"It's wrong for Sasuke to keep secrets from Sakura, but it's also wrong for Sakura to force it out of him either when she knows what he's like and been through. Sasuke should have realized Sakura's patience, and Sakura should have known Sasuke shows his love through the smallest gestures. That's why I feel like even if Sasuke proposed before all of this, Sakura would still say 'no.' But why should that matter? That's what I think, not them. Relationships are so personal that you can't judge who's wrong or right. It's up to them to decide how they want it and if they can look past that."

Her lips quivered briefly before she gave him a small smile.

"Hey," the word came out like a lost daily routine.

"Those two need to learn how to love each other again. It's easy to fall in love, but hard to be in a relationship. They forgot to make the other feel loved. They grew too comfortable together, and they took it for granted. If a second chance is worth it, they'll compromise. But they can't get back together now."

Sasuke stood in silence. His blank expression did not change with her reply. He nodded, acknowledging her presence. Still no words from him.

"So you don't think they'll ever get married?"

"Marriage, huh?" Naruto whispered. "To think they almost got there. Now that I think about it, everybody was still so young three years ago…"

_Rarely did Sasuke come to visit Naruto's apartment aside from finding a sparring partner. Even rarer when it was early in the morning, before Naruto himself was awake. He remembered yawning loudly, stretching his arms out while Sasuke stood there impatiently. Before Naruto could ask about his friend's intrusion, Sasuke beat him to it. _

"_I want Sakura to be my girlfriend." _

_If Naruto felt any sign of falling back to his soft pillow, it disappeared the moment Sasuke said that. Naruto had gasped loudly, falling off his bed in pure shock. He didn't care for the throbbing pain in his shoulder. Sasuke had just announced his desire to be with a girl. _

"_WHAT?" He slapped himself repeatedly on his cheeks, making sure that he was actually awake and not dreaming._

"_I need to know if you're okay with me…" Sasuke looked away sheepishly. Naruto found great satisfaction when Sasuke's cheeks tint pink. "…courting her." _

"_Hahaha, you said 'courting.' So old-fashioned, teme." He was rewarded with the infamous Uchiha glare. _

"_Fine, but why do you have to ask me? You know I've been waiting for this day since you returned," Naruto was curious. He always thought that for a relationship to start between his two best friends, Sakura would have to take the initiative. She would have been hesitant to start such a thing, but Sasuke was no better either. He was still in the "Oh I can't get close to anybody because they'll die" noble idiocrisy. _

"_Hn," Sasuke muttered, but Naruto understood. Even Sasuke knew that it was proper to ask permission for Naruto, being the closest thing to her brother. _

"_I'm glad that you came to me beforehand, but answer this," Naruto knew exactly what he wanted to ask. This was Haruno Sakura they were talking about. A girl whom Naruto grown to love like a sister to him. He wanted to protect her fragile heart and smiles, especially after the war. _

"_Why do you want to be with Sakura-chan?" _

_He didn't expect Sasuke to say those magical, life-altering three words; that wasn't Sasuke. He knew what Sasuke had been through; that it would take more time for the Uchiha to fully open up to the people he cared for. _

_When he saw Sasuke's dark eyes soften and lift up to meet Naruto's ocean orbs, how his shoulders relaxed, Naruto knew that he would approve of Sasuke. He was more confident of his approval when Sasuke spoke his next words that Naruto took as a promise to Team Seven. _

"_I want to take care of her." A gut feeling told Naruto to be at the hospital that night. His instincts had been right. Everyday around midnight, Naruto would spy, no __**observe**__, Sasuke offer to walk Sakura home, who would reluctantly agree. This had been the routine for nearly two months until one day…Sasuke lingered longer at Sakura's door, cupped Sakura's cheek, and captured her lips with his._

_Within a week, the rumor of Uchiha Sasuke and Haruno Sakura dating spread like wildfire (courtesy of Ino and Naruto's dual effort). But that didn't mean Naruto was not surprised at this decision. He may have seen them kiss, but it could have stayed just as that. Despite Sasuke's pursuit, Sakura could have rejected him at the spot and Naruto would not be shocked by that either. She had placed a wall around herself when it came to Sasuke. She wanted to be close enough to him as comrades, but far enough so that it would never go beyond that, hoping to prevent another heartbreak._

"_Ne, Sakura-chan. You know I'm so happy for you and teme, but," Naruto paused, mentally forming the correct words to use so it didn't come off as rude. "Why did you say 'yes' to him?" _

_Sakura stared at him blankly. "Seriously, Naruto? Was it not obvious when we were twelve?"_

"_Well yeah, you had a crush, and now you're madly in love with him, but even you were hesitant to trust Sasuke when he came back. Hell, you didn't want to pursue him. So… what changed?" _

_Initially, Naruto worried about the lack of progress due to Sakura's denseness and Sasuke's inability to be more romantic than a squid. Until Sasuke grew balls and kissed Sakura._

"_I felt that this time, he was truly making an effort not for my forgiveness, but to win me over," Sakura laughed lightly. It must have sounded strange for her to say such things about Sasuke. Her face glowed, and Naruto hoped Sasuke was the reason for that. This natural happiness that Naruto hadn't seen in so long…and all it took was for Sasuke to accept Sakura's love._

"_Sasuke doesn't have much consistency in his life. No one knows what will happen to him in the future. We don't know if he'll set out for revenge or leave Konoha again. So I just thought that maybe…I could be his rock. I just want him to know that no matter what happens, he'll always have me. He knows I will always him, and that's one of the few things he can be sure of. I'll always be there for him. While he's still adapting to returning, I can at least be one thing that's familiar to him." _

They made promises that they did not keep. Sasuke did not take care of her. Sakura did not stay with him. If they kept their word, then they would still be together.

Sasuke made a long stride forward, walking past Sakura. Naruto did not miss the brief contact of Sasuke's shoulders brushing against Sakura's.

"I accept the fact that they broke up, but not that it's for good. Call me a fool for being too optimistic, but they'll find their way to each other again. It might take weeks, months, maybe years, but Sasuke and Sakura will go back to each other. For now…"

Sighing, Sakura started walking toward the hospital, taking the route where Sasuke came from. She held her head up high, fighting back unsaid words as she bit down on her lips. Hard. The distance between Sasuke and Sakura grew wider as they walked away, farther apart from each other. But still in each other's world.

"They need time to get over all the pain from the breakup…and heal."

Yes, that's what they needed most. To heal was what Naruto should have allowed them to do. They needed that time to think over what wrong, how it got that way, and how to fix it properly. He could have locked Sasuke and Sakura in a room until they resolved their problems (which he and Ino had schemed early on), but it would not last long. Maybe it would work for other couples, but not them.

When emotions are not controlled, people act rashly. Naruto knew that too well. Rushing to the result he dearly wanted was not the best use of his time. Rather, he would leave those two alone to deal with this hardship. He did his part; now, it was up to Sasuke and Sakura to decide what they really wanted. And if they would work for it. If one or the other took the initiative, and not Naruto himself, then it'll be for real.

"Do you know if they'll get back together?" Sai asked.

Just before Sakura turned a corner, Sasuke glanced over his shoulder, trying to catch a glimpse of her. His right fist clenched tightly inside his pocket. Wrapped around a small box that Naruto knew his best friend had held since the breakup.

"I don't; I just believe." Naruto always did.

The End

* * *

Wow, it ends just like that. Hey guys, I did not promise Sasuke and Sakura to be together for a happy ending. Besides, this IS a breakup story. Not a makeup one (I GOT YOU GUYS! Not to abuse these characters' sadness). Not sure how I feel right now. Very happy, considering what's been happening in my own personal life. Anyway, I plan on writing a huge letter a few days after this is posted. I have so much to say despite this short story. For now, I'm thankful for its success because of all you wonderful readers. I hope the wait was worth it, and if not...sorry! But I have a life too! Just know that this last chapter could not have happened if I didn't face one of the worst moments of my life in college, just days before I got back into writing it. That event defined how I wrote this chapter, changing everything completely.

Once again, thank you to those who continue to read this as well as try out my other stories. Until the next story comes along, I hope you found great enjoyment with "Letting Us Go."

Love, Nakoujou


	7. Thank You

Dear Readers,

I think I'll start this tradition where after I finish a huge story, I'll write a letter like this. No edit. Just one swift letter. Keep it raw haha. But anyway, I want to give a huge thank you to those who supported "Letting Us Go" from the beginning to end. I know it's one of my shorter ones, considering it's an experiment, but a good effort nonetheless. I probably always say this, but my writing in the emotional sense is improving. And I like to think it showed through this piece.

Okay, let's start with the inspiration. Honestly, it was something I've always wanted to try: the break-up category. I usually write happy stories, but the breakup sounded very interesting to me. Was it insane to jump into it right after "How Uchiha Sasuke Romanced Haruno Sakura?" Hell yeah. Then again, I rationalize that it wouldn't be a long story (or else, I would have pulled out so many hairs lol). Hence, why I wanted to do a breakup. I'm all for SasuSaku, but there's also a dark side to it too. This story was meant to explore that: an amazing pairing that isn't perfect, so imperfect that it is possible to see them not be with each other. It's difficult doing this since SauSaku is my OTP. But I did it.

Now the style. It was always my intention to write this from the beautiful perspective of Uzumaki Naruto. It's so fitting; he's their best friend and it keeps the story light-hearted. I didn't want this story to be completely miserable. The goal wasn't comedy or humor, but just a lightness to it to erase all the seriousness. Breakups are a messy and depressing event in people's life, but it's also a way to realize things about yourself. Putting it through Naruto's eyes helps with that. Plus, I love writing things from a third party's POV. It provides balance since breakups are all about "He said, she said" plots. Literally. Sai? I just gotta put him there. I feel like I don't use his character enough in my stories when he has so much potential to them. So this was how I made it up.

So the big question: Was it always my intention for Sasuke and Sakura NOT to get back together? Yes. That was something I've always known and stuck with. I keep reminding you guys that this is a "BREAKUP" story, not a MAKEUP. The point of this story was to show what it's like to be broken-hearted, how people deal with it, how it affects others, etc. Doing a makeup would take away that focus. When you break up, you are in a lot of pain and emotions. You question your self-worth as a person. You wonder what you're meant to do in this world. Maybe I didn't capture all of that properly, but that was the goal: to focus on the after effects of the breakup. And that is why I refused to put Sasuke and Sakura back together. You want them to makeup? Go read some other story. I have no plans for a sequel. Sorry. That's just how I roll.

Okay, let's talk about my life for a moment. Man, first quarter of freshman year was crazy. First of all, classes were ten times harder than high school. I failed my first math class. I'm pretty sure I didn't get a 3.0. It gave me a reality check of where I stand as a student attending UCSD. Another thing? Trying to make friends. Other people, it comes easily. But I didn't meet anybody here I could really connect. I have friends who I hang out with, but not necessarily people I could chat all night long with. And oh god, I got with a boy after 2 weeks of knowing him. That was terrible. Put me through the worst breakup ever. I don't want to go into details but he dumped me when I needed somebody the most. I was at the worst point of my life, and he left me. I should have known he was a flake. This idiot said "I love you" a week after meeting me. The way I grew up made me take love very seriously so to see it being thrown around like that carelessly, it pissed me off. But I was emotional, so I took it. Don't ever fall for that, peeps. It's a sign that he's insecure and loves the idea of love more than you. Because he left me when I needed someone the most. Ugh, pathetic of me, right? But yeah, college really does test you. I dunno what else to say about this. Just know that it was incredibly stressful on me.

Now for the future? I have a lot of story ideas, but I doubt I can get them going soon. College really did take up a lot of time. One of my ideas was to do a buddy-cop thing for Sasuke and Naruto friendship because I can only do so much SasuSaku before I crack. Another would be to do random one-shots; they require little commitment and lots of experimenting. I also had an idea to do an anthology series starring Sousuke, Kimiko, and Kenj from my original "How Uchiha Sasuke Romanced Haruno Sakura" since there were a lot of background information, stories, and characters that I took out when I started it. Who knows?

But anyway, I'm forever grateful to you readers for supporting me on this long journey. It's amazing how I wrote my first story back in middle school and now I'm a freshman in college. Another test of life. Stories will forever be my stress reliever. Who knows what's bound to happen? All I know is that I gotta live in the moment. No more time looking back and thinking of "What if's." I gotta move onward. Thank you.

Love,

Nakoujou


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